We’re already a few games into the second half of the season, and one of the biggest questions this season remains: Will Jayson Tatum return for the Boston Celtics? It’s been nine months since Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon and has teased a return on multiple occasions in recent memory. With Tatum’s comeback seemingly on the horizon, an NBA doctor exclusively told PFSN’s Itiel Estudillo about the risks it’ll entail for the Celtics star.
Dr. Gautam Believes Jayson Tatum is Likely to Return This Season
During an exclusive interview with PFSN’s Estudillo, Dr. Abhinav Gautam, a pain management specialist, shed some light on Tatum’s potential return this season.
While Dr. Gautam believes JT could likely make a comeback, right on time for the 2026 NBA Playoffs at the latest, it doesn’t come without risks. The specialist mentioned that while Tatum could have undergone a successful procedure on his right Achilles tendon, that doesn’t automatically mean it’ll be 100% functional by the time he recovers.
“Look, there’s a chance, there’s probably a good chance,” Dr. Gautam said about Tatum’s potential return. “I think typically what you’re seeing, and there’s a trend amongst orthopedics now, where you’re trying to really manage scar tissue formation. That’s the enemy of every surgery. And in an area like the Achilles, that’s really effectively such small real estate, any issues with the healing of that tendon, and not only the healing of the tendon, but the tissue surrounding the tendon can lead to performance issues.”
“I’m sure he got on a very aggressive timetable and rehab protocol to optimize, not because we’re assuming that the surgery has been done successfully,” Dr. Gautam continued.
“So if the surgery has been done successfully, then the only other things that could affect the outcome of the surgery would be the tissue around the surgery. Kind of similar to joint replacement. If you replace somebody’s knee with a metal knee, well, theoretically that knee now should function perfectly, but there’s a huge incidence of scar tissue that can form around that implant and then inhibit the range of motion and thereby performance.”
Dr. Gautam then noted that the Celtics should be wary of the situation. Tatum may have promised to come back stronger and better than he once was, but it’s a matter of whether it’s still worth risking re-injuring his right Achilles tendon.
“I think there’s probably a high likelihood, again, it’ll be up to his team. It’s always a risk of what is the juice worth, the squeeze. You don’t want to rush the star player back then to get injured again, but at the same time, you don’t want to keep them out if there’s no need to be, particularly if you feel like you have a competitive chance of going deep in the playoffs.”
Dr. Gautam shed some light on the chances of Jayson Tatum returning this season:
“Look, there’s a chance, there’s probably a good chance. … I think there’s probably a high likelihood, again, it’ll be up to his team. It’s always a risk of what the juice is worth, the squeeze.” https://t.co/DgJAJibY4R pic.twitter.com/p4XjSaFZyG
— Itiel Estudillo (@Itiel_Estudillo) February 24, 2026
Looking at the Celtics’ standing in the Eastern Conference, they’re currently in second place with a 37-19 record. Boston has proven to be a worthy contender even without Tatum in the lineup. To add to Dr. Gautam’s point, bringing back JT, especially come playoff time, will undoubtedly increase their chances of winning the coveted NBA title this season.
It will all come down to what the Celtics are prioritizing this season. Would they want to contend for the championship at the expense of potentially re-injuring Tatum, or would they rather risk making a deep playoff run with Jaylen Brown as the only star running the show?
