Jayson Tatum considering drastic change in plans for Achilles recovery

Jayson Tatum’s return felt like a looming possibility as he continued to rehab his Achilles tear from last year’s playoffs. But according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, those comeback plans could be put on pause for the foreseeable future.

Haynes reported late Wednesday night that Tatum is “re-evaluating his situation” when it comes to a return this season. That’s a drastic change in his plan considering it sounded like he was going to be back on the court soon, telling people about it.

“It is up in the air on if he’s going to return at all this season,” Haynes said. “I was told there were a couple of factors of why he’s reached that point. But as of right now, that changes the whole landscape because Tatum even told me personally he was returning at some point. I was hearing he was getting close and league sources told me that the situation has changed.”

Tatum told ESPN that he hasn’t made a decision on if he’ll return this season because he “wants to get it right the first time, so it’s just a lot to think about.”

The Celtics have put together a surprisingly strong start to the season without Tatum, going 29-18 through their first 47 games to hold the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Tatum showcased his recovery in front of reporters last week in Detroit, going through a full 45-minute workout that included some dribbling and 1-on-1 drills with assistant coach Tony Dobbins.

“It’s been amazing to see,” Derrick White said after the workout. “Obviously, all the work he’s put in. You just kind of see him being around more and being able to do more, so that’s exciting to see as a friend. So, every day he’s been working hard and it’s good to see all that hard work add to some more movement and more opportunities.”

The All-Star has been a constant figure with the team all year long, traveling on the team’s road trips while also attending meetings and film sessions.

Tatum underwent surgery to repair his torn Achilles on May 13, 2025, which put him eight months and two weeks into his recovery. Tatum’s father, Justin, told ESPN last May that the Celtics star was aiming for a return to the floor after 8-9 months.

However, Tatum admitted some trepidation about returning this season for the first time this week in an interview on “The Pivot Podcast.” He pointed out how the Celtics have built an identity on the court as an East contender. It’s the first-time ever Tatum hasn’t started a season with the team in training camp, so he had some apprehension about coming back this season.

Decisions will have to be made, but it’s still only late-January. So there’s still time for Tatum and his team to mull over any final say on whether he’ll play this season. But it did sound like Tatum was rethinking his return for this season.

“They have an identity this year or things that they felt has clicked for them and has been successful,” Tatum said. “There is a thought in my head, ‘How does that work?’ or ‘How does that look with me integrating myself off with injury and 50, 60 games into a season?’

“Obviously, there could be some challenges. It is a thought like, ‘Damn, do I come back? Or should I wait?’ It’s something that, recently, in the last two weeks or so just kind of contemplate every single day.”

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