Celtics Rumors: Jayson Tatum ‘Way Ahead’ In Achilles Injury Rehab

The Boston Celtics have been busy this offseason, but there’s no doubt that their future hinges on how Jayson Tatum looks when he eventually returns to action from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

In Game 4 of the Celtics’ Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks, Tatum went down with his aforementioned injury, and everything changed for the team. In the blink of an eye, they went from being an established Finals contender to overhauling their roster in order to avoid the second apron of the NBA’s new salary cap.

Players usually miss around 10-12 months while recovering from this injury, meaning Tatum likely won’t take the court at all next season. However, it is worth noting that Tatum underwent surgery within 24 hours of suffering this injury in order to give himself a better shot at a faster recovery.

Every time there has been an update on Tatum since his rehab began, it’s seemed to be good news. Earlier this week, Tatum appeared at Chris Paul’s CP3 Elite Camp in Las Vegas, and according to a scout in attendance, the Celtics star appeared to be “way ahead” in his injury rehab.

“He was moving really well,” the scout said, per Steve Bulpett of Heavy Sports. “There might have been a slight limp or something, but the surprising thing to me is that he didn’t have a boot for any of it. I’m no doctor, but I’ve seen guys coming back from Achilles’ tears, and he looked way ahead. I was kind of shocked to see how well he was moving.”

“I have no idea for what any of this means for when he can come back. I’m sure him and the Celtics’ medical people have their program set up, and they’ll make sure that he’s where he needs to be when he does get back. But he looks great right now. Of course, he didn’t do any running or even jogging, but he was in great shape.”

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0aSyrODE8fuRJeZ6PQiqf0

It’s important to temper expectations for Tatum, especially since Boston will surely be cautious with how they handle him during his rehab. Considering how they don’t appear set to be a title contender next season, there’s no need to rush him back into action.

But if Tatum continues attacking his rehab and making progress, there’s no reason to prevent him from taking steps forward. It seems like he’s trending in the right direction for now, but there’s still a long way to go until he’s back on the court for the Celtics.