Despite losing most of their championship core, the Boston Celtics continue to march strong. They’re 15-9 and sitting in the third spot in the Eastern Conference, all while Jayson Tatum continues to push for an early return from his torn Achilles injury.
The Celtics star tore his Achilles tendon in May 2025, leaving his team severely undermanned for the playoffs. However, he looks far ahead of schedule in his recovery, and while he hasn’t been cleared to play 5-on-5 yet, it now seems like coming back this season is a realistic possibility.
Tatum made the rounds again online with a now-viral video of him playing some one-on-one and looking as sharp as ever.
Nevertheless, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla doesn’t want to put any pressure on him.
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Joe Mazzulla won’t rush Jayson Tatum back to the court
When asked about Tatum’s status and his seemingly successful recovery, the Celtics coach claimed that whether he returns and when he does will be entirely up to Tatum.
“It’s all up to him,” Mazzulla told the media, per Bobby Krivitsky of Forbes. “At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing. The only thing that I care about is his presence and his leadership, and he’s doing that in different ways. On the bench in games, communicating to guys, in film sessions, traveling with us.”
Despite not being able to play, Tatum has embraced his role as a leader and face of the franchise. He’s stayed close to the team, has been on the sidelines rooting for his teammates, and Mazzulla has appreciated his presence and input this season.
“At the end of the day, he’s on our team, he’s a part of our team, he’s helping us get better, and then everything else comes down to him and the people around him, and you trust that,” Mazzulla added.
The former NBA champion averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.5 3-pointers per game on.452/.343/.814 shooting splits last season while also being a more than serviceable defender in the wings.
Then again, as much as the Celtics may need him now, he’s just 26 years old. He hasn’t even reached his physical prime yet, and these injuries tend to linger.
Tatum, his camp and the organization need to think about the big picture and make sure that he only comes back once he’s back to full strength, especially with the team getting by just fine without him.
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