It’s been five months since Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon. At the time, the Boston Celtics superstar was expected to be sidelined for the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season. However, the St. Louis native appears to be ahead of schedule.
According to Xavier Tillman Sr., who spoke with Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, Tatum is already incorporating box jumps into his rehab program. That likely means that his Achilles tendon is strong enough to bear his weight with light impact. That is a significant step forward.
“I mean, I’m seeing this guy do like box jumps and stuff like that, and I’m like, huh? What?” Tillman said.
There’s growing hope that Tatum will be medically cleared before the end of the coming season. However, that is unlikely to happen anytime in the near future. Nevertheless, with each passing week, we’re getting new and encouraging updates regarding his road to recovery and the work he’s putting in.
Tatum played in 72 regular-season games during the 2024-25 campaign. He averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and six assists, shooting 45.2% from the field and 34.3% from deep.
Tatum Has a Goal For Celtics’ Return
During the September 23 episode of TODAY With Jenna and Friends, Tatum discussed his rehab process and his goal of getting back on the court. He did, however, stop short of setting a date or guaranteeing that he will be back in the upcoming campaign.
“For me and my team, the doctor, the organization, the most important thing is making the full recovery,” Tatum said. “I haven’t said like, ‘Yo, I’m not playing this season or anything like that.’…I have a goal in my mind,” Tatum added. “What I will say is I’m not working out, rehabbing six days a week for no reason.”
Tatum isn’t the only NBA star currently sidelined with an Achilles injury. Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Dejounte Murray are all working through similar rehab programs.
Tatum Doubled Down on First Take
Shortly after his appearance on “TODAY,” Tatum was back on television, this time with ESPN’s First Take. He once again discussed his aim of being back on the court, but also explained the standard at which he needs to reach before putting a Celtics jersey back on.
“I haven’t said I’m not playing this season,” Tatum said. “…I don’t go to rehab six days a week for nothing. But with that being said, with being a part of the organization and the Celtics, there is a standard that we play to, that we uphold, regardless of who we have in the lineup, who’s on the team, who’s not, there’s a sense of pride that we have when we put that uniform on, and we always are competing to win a championship, and that standard will not change.”
Whenever Tatum does return to the court, he will need multiple months to get back into game shape. After all, being medically cleared and being at NBA-level fitness are two different things. However, you can only achieve that fitness level by playing competitive games on he floor.
Therefore, if Tatum is medically cleared, feels good, and the coaching staff trusts he can sustain the added workload, his return will be a welcome boost to Boston’s rotation in the latter part of the season.
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