Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
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Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
A potential in-season return for Jayson Tatum is the hottest topic within the Boston Celtics fanbase at present.
Tatum hasn’t played since injuring his Achilles during the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the New York Knicks. In recent weeks, Tatum’s rehab has picked up pace. He’s been sharing videos of himself working out in the gym, and was recently cleared for controlled 5-on-5 work with the coaching staff.
On Feb. 16, a New Era hype video surfaced featuring Tatum. During the 30-second clip, Tatum was asked about his expectations when he eventually returns to the court.
“The experience has taught me a lot about myself. 39 and a half weeks out since surgery, and I can vividly remember being out of surgery and, you know, not necessarily seeing myself being where I am today,” Tatum said. “So proud of myself for sticking with it, just literally taking it one day at a time, and that’s what I’m going to keep doing going forward. The goal is always to be better than I was last year. Even with the injury, focusing on my game, my body, all those things.”
Boston’s All-NBA forward then signed off with a short sentence that felt like it was a message to Celtics fans worldwide.
“I need to be back and be better.”
Tatum Is Still Unsure On In-Season Celtics Return
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, speaking via a Feb. 17 episode of “NBA Today,” Tatum is still unsure about whether he will return to the rotation this season.
“I know everybody has seen that game got flexed to that spot on NBC on prime time. There’s a documentary that an NBC affiliate has been doing,” Shelburne said. “There are connecting dots. But, I checked in with Jayson Tatum, and he said, ‘I’ve still not made a decision on whether or not I’m coming back this year.’”
If Tatum is going to make an impact during the postseason, he will need to have a sizeable ramp-up period. That means time is running out to get him back on the court with enough runway to build some momentum.
Celtics fans will likely hope that if he is going to return this season, it will happen at some point in early March.
Bill Simmons Predicts Celtics Get Tatum Back Soon
In a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Show” podcast, the veteran NBA analyst predicted that Tatum would return during the Celtics March 1 game against the Philadelphia 76ers, or one game later against the Charlotte Hornets on March 6.
“So it’s really starting to look like March 1st or March 6th, but my money would be on March 1st now for him,” Simmons said.
If Simmons is right, Tatum must be close to being medically cleared by Boston’s medical staff. Even then, he will still need to be signed off by the coaching staff. Furthermore, he will need to feel confident in his ability to make a positive impact on the team.
There’s no doubt the Celtics are better with Tatum on the court. The only question is, whether we see that this season or next.