The Seattle Seahawks are running out of time on cornerback DeShawn Shead, right as they could use his services the most.

The Seahawks will need all the help they can get, in lieu of losing their All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman to a season-ending Achilles tear on Thursday Night Football. They've already reportedly brought back Byron Maxwell and have Jeremy Lane in the fold as well to fight for the job but perhaps, their best option remains on the physically unable to perform list and he's nearing the deadline to play at all in 2017.

Shead tore his ACL in the team's 2016 playoff loss to the Atlanta Falcons and although, he's been rehabbing like a maniac; he's still not found the clearance from the doctors he needs to play in 2017. And, head coach Pete Carroll remains to give a glib outlook on Shead returning this season.

"He's at a bit of a plateau right now that he has to get through and over," Carroll told ESPN 710 Seattle's "Brock and Salk" show on Monday. "That remains to be seen. He's doing everything he possibly can. And I've said this before he's in great shape. If you watch him work out, he can run forever. He can do everything. But he's just not back fully yet that he has all the movement that he needs, the extension that he needs. Until that's safe, he's still working at it. He's doing everything he can."

For anyone counting on Shead to return this season, that update isn't good news. The Seahawks have until next Tuesday, Nov. 21 before he can no longer be taken of the PUP list and moves over to the Injured Reserve list permanently for the season.

If the Seahawks were to activate him next week, the Seahawks would then start a new timer to move him from merely practicing to their active roster but of course at that point, they'd need to make a roster decision to clear space.

(The Seahawks took out the Cardinals but lost Richard Sherman for the season in the process . Don't MISS any updates on highlights, injuries and other news, as they try to limit the damage on a short week. Stay informed right along with us -- take five seconds to Sign up for our Free Seahawks newsletter now!)

Shead was the team's second best cornerback in 2016 and having him back at full capacity would be a major win for their depth at the position but bringing him back to save the day does no good if he's not fully healed and risks further damage. At this point, he seems more like a hope than a reality.

But hope has a deadline and next Tuesday is that deadline.

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