Why Celtics may keep Jayson Tatum sidelined even if he’s ready to return

The Boston Celtics hit the reset button the moment Jayson Tatum tore the Achilles tendon in his right leg during the playoffs against the New York Knicks. The forward is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season while he undergoes rehab, and he has now opened up about the process of finding himself again.

Inside Tatum’s fight back from a devastating injury

The six-time NBA All-Star said he works out six days a week and has already shed his walking boot. One advantage for Tatum was undergoing surgery just 18 hours after suffering the injury in Game 4 of the Knicks series.

“Rehab is tedious. It’s six days a week,” Tatum said in a video posted on the league’s social media channels. “It’s getting a little better – I don’t use the walking boot anymore. Better days are coming, but I’m trying to take it day by day. You have to be resilient, those first six weeks were probably the hardest of my life.”

Achilles injuries usually take around nine to twelve months to heal, meaning that in the best-case scenario Tatum could return in March 2026. Still, general manager Brad Stevens has made clear that the team has no plans to rush him back, and the Celtics may well keep the Duke product sidelined for the entire year.

‘JT’ played 72 regular-season games and finished fourth in the 2024-25 MVP voting. The forward averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 36.4 minutes per game.

Who will fill Jayson Tatum’s spot?

With Tatum out, the Celtics are leaning on Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser as starting forwards in a small-ball lineup. The position has depth, thanks to the addition of Spanish rookie Hugo González, along with Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh, who have both gained valuable experience.

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