Jayson Tatum may return earlier than expected after crushing injury in shocking Celtics boost

“The news and the video of Jayson Tatum being back on the floor for his recovery in Boston is something that took the league by surprise throughout this media day week we are currently in,” Fischer said in a video posted Friday. “What does this mean in terms of Jayson Tatum’s ultimate return? That there’s definitely buzz that Tatum could potentially be back sometime in March.”

However, Fischer cautioned that a lot will ride on how Boston is faring this season in addition to how close to full strength Tatum believes he is late in the season.

“I think that’s the ultimate detail here,” Fischer added. “The context of Boston’s season will be very important what ultimately is for Jayson Tatum’s return.”

The chatter around Tatum’s potential return has taken a positive turn amid the workout video the team released Sept. 28 and his recent upbeat comments.

The 21-second video shows Tatum lifting weights while also dribbling, running and shooting.

“I’m rusty as a mother f–ker,” Tatum said with a laugh to close the video.

Tatum’s 2025-26 outlook didn’t seem as rosy when he popped his Achilles against the Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on May 12, 2025.

He had surgery the next day.

Many expected Tatum would be sidelined at least one year due to the associated timeline with the injury, which would open the door for a return in the chance the Celtics make a deep playoff run.

Tatum revealed last month he participated in his first on-court workout and while he’s optimistic, he did not commit to returning next year in a chat with Sports Illustrated.

“I haven’t said I’m coming back, and I haven’t said that I’m not,” Tatum said. “It’s for a couple of different reasons. For me to say, ‘Yo, I’m not coming back this year,’ I don’t know. I need something to look forward to. Going to the rehab every single day, I need a goal or something that I’m trying to chase. And I might not come back this year, but I need to feel like I’m attacking something, I’m working towards something.”

The Celtics reacted this offseason like they will not have Tatum and not be championship contenders, jettisoning Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis and letting Al Horford walk in cost-saving maneuvers.

The Eastern Conference has two heavyweights in the Knicks and Cavaliers and there’s a chance for another team to make a push, and the Celtics still have enough talent to make a run.

Fischer noted that Boston views itself as more of a contender for this season than Indiana, who already has ruled out Tyrese Haliburton for the year after he suffered the same injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, which opens the door should Tatum feel strong enough and the team is competitive.

However, for all the rosy optimism, those around the franchise aren’t expecting to be hunting for banner No. 19.

“But what happens if (Tatum is) 100 percent and Boston is somewhat in the playoff picture. The Celtics don’t have any type of Indiana pacers stopgap year in mind … From all my conversations around the league, the Celtics still seem to have more of an idea of a hope of being competitive in the East by comparison to the Indiana Pacers,” Fischer said. “That’s not to say that the Celtics just expect themselves to be competing for a championship, I don’t think anyone in Boston views this current Celtics roster without Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, without Al Horford, as a team that is going to be competing with the likes of Cleveland and New York and even, if healthy, comparing it to Philadelphia’s roster. I don’t think that Boston really does consider themselves a championship contender this season at all.”