RENTON, Wash. -- For the first time, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll suggested Wednesday that tight end Jimmy Graham could miss games at the start of the regular season.

Graham is trying to return from a patellar tendon injury he suffered last November. He began training camp on the physically unable to perform list but returned to practice last week.

"We've had no issues at all in the work he's doing on the field," Carroll said. "That will continue to increase throughout the next few weeks.

"Really we're shooting for: Where is he at the start of the season? And we'll evaluate then on how much longer it may take, or he may be ready. We don't know that yet. But he feels good."

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, left, is taking it easy on tight end Jimmy Graham, who is recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Graham has been limited and is not yet participating in team drills.

"There's some evaluation to be done going into next week, but I don't have any expectations for that right now. We'll just wait and see," Carroll said.

"We don't have a timetable for this that he has to meet any schedule at all. We're just working him back, and he's gaining confidence, and it's really important not to have any setbacks. So we're being careful.

"With three really big weeks coming up here, we'll see how he goes. We'll be continuing to progress him more with the action around him and stuff. He's doing fine running routes and catching balls, and he looks good doing all that stuff."

Graham has talked to other players who have rehabbed from the same injury, including Jon Stinchcomb and Victor Cruz, and they advised him that rushing back can lead to other issues.

So for now, the plan remains to take it slow.

Running back Thomas Rawls (ankle), meanwhile, continues to push forward and could play in the Seahawks' third preseason game next week.

"Thomas got some really good reps in practice," Carroll said. "He'll have a really solid week next week if all goes well. We'll see about what that means in terms of playing. We're not going to rush that at all. But he looked good, and that was great to see."

Rawls has been participating in a portion of team drills at practice and remains on track to start the opener in Week 1.