Brad Stevens Provides New Update On Jayson Tatum Rehab
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens met with media members on Friday to partake in a post-trade deadline Celtics state of the union, as is customary.
Stevens covered a ton of topics and fielded questions about Boston’s multiple moves and outlook moving forward.
He also, not surprisingly, discussed Jayson Tatum’s ongoing rehab. Stevens didn’t provide any timetable, although he did say that Tatum still has a “long way to go” in his process.
When asked about Tatum’s recent experience of wondering about whether or not to come back at all in 2025-26, Stevens’ answer was spot-on.
“Anytime you go through a long, hard rehab … for anything at any level of athletics, there’s going to be all kinds of things that you’re thinking about as you’re progressing through it. It’s totally normal.”
Tatum has been diligently working through his rehabilitation from a torn Achilles tendon sustained in May 2025 during the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks. The Celtics star underwent surgery shortly after the injury and has remained sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season to date.
Tatum’s progress has drawn attention for exceeding typical expectations for such a severe injury. He has shared glimpses of intense workouts, including heavy lifting and on-court activity, and completed an hour-long session open to media in late January 2026. Reports from that period described him as ahead of schedule, with no physical setbacks noted. Head coach Joe Mazzulla emphasized in late January that Tatum was “progressing naturally” and had experienced “zero setback” from a physical standpoint, crediting the team’s sports science support.
By late January, speculation grew about a potential late-season return, possibly around March, to allow ramp-up time before the playoffs. Tatum himself acknowledged feeling stronger weekly but stressed the need to prioritize a full, confident recovery, telling ESPN he wanted to “get it right the first time” given the injury’s severity. He has openly contemplated the challenges of reintegrating into a Celtics squad performing strongly without him, sitting near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Recent updates indicate he is still re-evaluating whether to return at all this season, weighing long-term health against a comeback. Teammate Jaylen Brown has advised him to focus on what feels best personally, encompassing physical, mental, and emotional readiness. While optimism persists about his trajectory, no firm decision or timeline has emerged.