The Seattle Seahawks plan to release cornerback DeShawn Shead on Monday, according to ESPN's Brady Henderson.
Shead spent the majority of the 2017 season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list while recovering from the effects of a torn ACL suffered during the 2016 campaign.
Shead's agent, Cameron Foster, said he spoke to Seahawks general manager John Schneider ensuring his client would become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the league's new year.
"John Schneider called me saying they were going to release DeShawn on Monday because, per the league rule, it's the NFL's position that DeShawn's contract is to toll," Foster said. "But it's our position, the NFL Players' Association's position, and the Seattle Seahawks' position that it does not toll. John had already informed DeShawn that his contract was expiring after this year, and the Seattle Seahawks are just living up to their word.
"They called me and they said: 'Just giving you a heads up that we're going to release DeShawn on Monday, but that doesn't mean we don't want him. That means we are living up to our word and we're going to release him, otherwise his contract would be required to toll.' So, kudos to the Seahawks for doing the right thing. It's them living up to their word, letting DeShawn test the free-agent world, but they have said they'd like to have him come back."
Shead recorded 81 tackles, 14 pass deflections, an interception, and a forced fumble in 15 games during the 2016 season.
