Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles on May 12 during a postseason series against the New York Knicks. Now, approximately nine months later, the former NBA champion and six-time All-Star is making significant progress.
With the Celtics sitting at 34-19 and clearly contending in the Eastern Conference, fans and the city of Boston are eager to see a potential return from their superstar forward. However, Tatum has made it clear that, while he’s beginning to resume certain aspects of basketball activities, he won’t return until he truly “feels like he's Jayson Tatum.”
Fortunately, that moment could be on the horizon. On Monday, the Celtics announced that Tatum will be sent down to the team’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, to participate in portions of team practice. He will then immediately return to Boston to continue his rehab process.
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Jayson Tatum will be assigned to participate in portions of the @MaineCeltics practice at the Auerbach Center this afternoon.
Following this practice, Tatum will be immediately recalled to the Boston Celtics, where he will continue his rehab process.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 9, 2026
ESPN’s Shams Charania also provided an update on Tatum on Monday, further reinforcing that the former Duke star wants to feel like himself before returning to the court.
“My understanding is that these five-on-five scrimmages have been taking place with coaches in the stay-ready group on the Celtics,” Charania said. “He’s still got more boxes to check. Obviously, the next natural progression is for him to feel comfortable enough to practice with the rest of the roster and his teammates.
“What I was told over the weekend, though, is that Jayson Tatum has made it clear to people around him that he wants to come back when he feels like Jayson Tatum — when he’s 100% confident in his leg and his body, and when he’s fully cleared by the Celtics’ medical staff. That’s when he’ll make his return.”
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