Per Bobby Manning, the Boston superstar is on track to return by March from his torn Achilles injury recovery.
Jayson Tatum is reportedly on track to return to the Boston Celtics in the latter portion of the 2025-26 season.
Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum
Team: Boston Celtics
Position: SF
Age: 27
Height: 203 cm
Weight: 95 kg
Birth place: St. Louis, United States of America
In HoopsHype’s Around the Beat, CLNS Media's Celtics writer Bobby Manning revealed that the Boston superstar could make his on-court comeback for the Celtics by March.
"He has said that he wants his first game back to be at TD Garden," Manning said, "And so, I am looking at late February, early March, that period for him to be back in contact five-on-five type activity, ramp up toward a return to play. And if he does have that month-long window or so before the playoffs, I think it is feasible to see him back in the lineup mid-March and have a month to ramp up, play unlimited minutes and be 10 months removed from that surgery, and be fully ramped up for the playoffs where he'll be 11 months removed.
"And from doctors I've talked to, the greatest risk period of re-tearing it is four to six months. So, he's past that. And every month that you take up to 12 months is going to bring you closer to a 0% chance."
It is intriguing news for Tatum, considering that he should be out for the entire year after suffering from a torn Achilles tendon in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
As such, Tatum has aggressively attacked his rehab plan and delivered significant progress. He truly had plans to return this season, but recent reports suggest he is now re-evaluating it due to Boston's unforeseen success without him.
While he believes he might disrupt the Celtics' chemistry in his potential return, head coach Joe Mazzulla already dismissed it, saying they would gladly welcome their franchise forward back in the lineup.
It remains to be seen if Tatum will eventually rejoin the Celtics this season in an unprecedented scenario.
"He is in a strong position right now," Manning added. "I think just from where he is, he could make an appearance around March this season. But it'll be interesting to watch because over the next three, four weeks here, I think we're going to learn a lot about where he's at.
"This period, I still have no idea about whether that's going to happen."
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