Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum didn’t just go down with an untimely injury during Game 4 against the New York Knicks—he suffered one of the worst injuries an athlete can face: a torn Achilles tendon.
The injury will keep Tatum out indefinitely. He’s not the first NBA star to suffer this type of setback, but for many who do, it changes the course of their careers. There’s no official timetable yet, but here’s a look at Tatum’s projected recovery.
Jayson Tatum’s Projected Recovery Time
Tatum’s injury not only knocks him out for the rest of this season, but it could keep him off the court for the entire 2025–26 season, too.
Dr. Gregory Waryasz, an orthopedic surgeon and the Director of Foot & Ankle Sports Medicine at Mass General Brigham, spoke with WBZ-TV’s Brandon Truitt about what Tatum’s recovery might look like.
“The Achilles is the main tendon in the lower leg below the knee. It connects the calf muscles to the heel bone and allows you to push off,” he explained. “Initial recovery [of a rupture] is a couple of weeks of non-weight-bearing, followed by prolonged time in a boot—usually three months. Then you start working on functional recovery and then start to return to sports activities after five months.
“Usually for someone in Tatum’s situation, it’s a 9-12-month injury,” said Dr. Waryasz.
Odds are, Tatum won’t return to NBA action until October of next year. The bigger question is how close he’ll be to his old self when he does. Achilles injuries have a history of cutting into players’ primes and sometimes make them more vulnerable to other injuries later on.
It’s a tough blow for the Celtics, who entered the season as reigning champions. Tatum’s injury leaves them with a long list of questions heading into the offseason. Missing a franchise cornerstone for a full season could force some major decisions.
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That said, don’t count Tatum out in the long run. He’s only 27, which gives him a better chance of bouncing back. He’s already proved himself as one of the greats in Celtics and NBA history. With his skill set, there’s a chance he could return to form when he’s healthy again.
Still, that won’t make the next 12 months any easier for Boston.
