Story by
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum not ruling out Achilles injury return this season
- Story by
- Celtics’ Jayson Tatum not ruling out Achilles injury return this season
The post Celtics' Jayson Tatum not ruling out Achilles injury return this season appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Jayson Tatum suffered a torn right Achilles tendon during the Boston Celtics ' playoff run and was expected to miss all of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Advertisement
While this is true for Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton , who also tore his Achilles in the NBA Finals, Tatum is not ruling out the possibility of a late-season return just yet.
The Celtics star has been progressing well during the offseason , and his progress is being closely monitored by his doctors and the team's training staff. Although they won't push Tatum or rush him back, the six-time All-Star is already ahead of schedule and has his eyes set on getting back on the floor with his team this upcoming year.
"That is the million-dollar question," Tatum said of his potential return during the 2025-26 season on Tuesday while appearing on Today With Jenna & Friends. "I think for me and my team, the doctors, the organization — the most important thing is making a full recovery, [and] being back 100 percent. Not rushing it. But I haven't said like, 'Yo, I'm not playing this season,' or anything like that.
"I have a goal in my mind, right? I have a goal in my mind. What I will say is I'm not working out, rehabbing six days a week for no reason."
This has been Tatum's mindset throughout his rehab process this offseason. Even though the Celtics are preparing for the new season without him, the five-time All-NBA forward remains determined to rejoin his teammates on the court late in the year before their playoff push.
Advertisement
The Celtics have explicitly left the door open for a potential return late in the season, which is why they didn't label him with a timeline or time frame for a potential return after his surgery during the playoffs.
In August, Tatum provided fans with an update on where he was at, claiming that his Achilles injury recovery is "tedious," but he is remaining "resilient."
"Rehab is tedious, man. It's six days a week. It's starting to get a little better. I'm out of the boot now. Better days ahead," Tatum said. "I just try to take it one day at a time. You've got to be resilient. That first six weeks of this was probably the toughest six weeks of any point in my life.
"I just had to accept it and realize it happened, and now, I gotta do everything in my power to get back to who I was and get back to playing."
Advertisement
The Celtics have made the playoffs each of the last 11 seasons, winning their 18th championship in 2024. As Tatum continues his rehab behind the scenes, head coach Joe Mazzulla will lean on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to do the heavy lifting for a new-looking and revamped Celtics roster entering the 2025-26 season.
Tatum, who remains optimistic about a late-season return, still has a lot of checkpoints to clear during his recovery process before the team can pinpoint when he will be back.
Related: Celtics' Jayson Tatum gets 100% real on being underrated
Related: 1 Celtics player in danger of losing starting job in 2025-26 training camp
