If you weren’t watching NBC’s “Today with Jenna & Friends” program on Tuesday morning as you usually do, you would have missed out on Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum making an appearance to discuss, among other things, his ongoing Achilles recovery.
Much has been made in the media about a potential, surprise return for Tatum during the latter segment of the upcoming 2025-26 season, and Tatum didn’t exactly dispel those rumors with his comments on Tuesday.
When asked about his return date, this is what Tatum had to say:
“That is the million-dollar question. I think for me and my team, the doctors, the organization, the most important thing is making a full recovery, (and) being back 100 percent. Not rushing it. But I haven’t said like, ‘Yo, I’m not playing this season,’ or anything like that. … I have a goal in my mind … I’m not working out, rehabbing six days a week for no reason.”
While the most optimistic fans and analysts have speculated that Tatum could return for the final few regular season games and postseason, others have cautioned against bringing back Tatum at all in 2025-26, suggesting that doing so would be a silly risk.
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Indeed, there is something to be said about bringing Tatum back just before the intense playoffs, as that wouldn’t be the most ideal circumstances for him to get back into game shape and test his recovered Achilles.
It is interesting, though, that no one — Tatum included — has ruled out a 2025-26 return.
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It’s been widely reported that the immediacy of Tatum’s surgery (within hours of the injury) gave him an amazing chance for a speedier recovery than normal. This was made possible due to the ideal surgeon (Dr. Martin O’Malley) being located in New York City close to where Tatum suffered the injury at MSG.
Could JT really return in 2025-26? The upcoming season for Boston could end up being a lot more consequential than people realize.
Featured image via Geoff Burke/Imagn Images
