Boston Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum continues to make steady progress in his recovery from surgery to repair his torn right Achilles tendon. Amid the six-time All-Star’s increasing public appearances, NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg weighed in on his chances of returning at some point during the 2025-26 NBA season.
Tatum tore his Achilles tendon late in Boston’s 121-113 Game 4 Eastern Conference semifinal road loss to the New York Knicks on May 12 and underwent surgery the following day. The devastating setback cut his playoff run short and put his status for the ensuing campaign in jeopardy.
In response, the Celtics have seemingly approached this offseason in anticipation of a gap year, deliberately taking a step back to cut roster costs.
That said, Tatum reportedly shed his walking boot in late July. Since then, he’s been spotted walking on multiple occasions this month, including at a team community event and a New England Patriots practice, fueling hope for a possible early return.
Celtics Insider Cautiously Optimistic About Jayson Tatum Returning in 2025-26 Season
During a Friday mailbag session, Forsberg was asked about the prospects of Tatum defying the odds and coming back during the upcoming season. The Boston insider didn’t rule out the possibility, underscoring the 27-year-old’s diligent rehabilitation efforts.
“We think there is a 100 percent chance that Tatum is going to attack his rehab with a relentless energy and a desire to beat whatever the generally accepted timeline is for an Achilles rehab,” Forsberg wrote.
“It feels like the team’s reluctance to 1) Set a firm timeline and 2) Formally rule Tatum out for the 2025-26 season, even after a team like the [Indiana] Pacers did just that with Tyrese Haliburton, seems to suggest a desire to avoid putting any limitation on the rehab process.
“I thought team president Rich Gotham summed it up best when he recently noted, ‘What I know about JT is he’s going to do everything he can to put us in a position to make a decision.'”
However, Forsberg stressed that Tatum, who delivered an encouraging message to Celtics fans on Wednesday, is taking a day-to-day approach.
“Right now, the focus ought to be on getting better every day,” Forsberg wrote. “Tatum might have even coined the perfect rallying cry for Celtics fans in a recent video update when he noted the grueling nature of the initial rehab but optimistically declared that there are ‘better days ahead.'”
“Better days ahead.”
Jayson Tatum talks about resilience during his journey back to the court. pic.twitter.com/xsGenubrp2
— NBA (@NBA) August 20, 2025
After capturing the 2024 NBA title, Boston won 61 games last season before suffering a second-round postseason exit. With Tatum sidelined and the franchise moving on from starters Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, the new-look, Jaylen Brown-led iteration of the squad is widely projected to finish closer to .500. The Celtics’ over-under win total is set at 42.5, which would likely position them as a lower-seeded playoff team.
As such, if Boston starts slow sans Tatum or experiences any further injury misfortune, the organization may exercise prudence and set its sights on the 2026-27 campaign.
