Jayson Tatum is finally taking steps forward in his recovery, more than three months after suffering a ruptured Achilles in mid-May.
“Rehab is tedious, man,” Tatum said on Wednesday, via NBC Sports Boston. “It’s six days a week. It’s starting to get a little bit better, I’m out of the boot now. Better days ahead, but just trying to take it one day at a time.
“You got to be resilient. That first six weeks of this was probably the toughest six weeks of any point in my life. Just had to accept it and realized it happened and now I have to do everything in my power to get back to who I was and get back to playing.”
“Better days ahead.”
Jayson Tatum talks about resilience during his journey back to the court. pic.twitter.com/xsGenubrp2
— NBA (@NBA) August 20, 2025
The removal of the boot marks a positive milestone, but the 27-year-old forward remains far from a return.
Achilles injuries typically require at least nine months of recovery, and the expectation around the league is that he will miss the entire 2025-26 season.
Still, Tatum has been described as “looking great” as his ramp-up continues, according to scouts cited by NBC Sports Boston.
While sidelined, Tatum has been active off the court. He stopped by New England Patriots practice on August 6, where he spent time with rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
The following day, he appeared at a groundbreaking ceremony in Providence for an early childhood education center, showing his support for local community initiatives.
Boston, meanwhile, will move forward with a retooled roster. Training camp opens on September 29, followed by the preseason tipoff in Memphis on October 8. The Celtics’ regular season debut comes October 22 at TD Garden against the Philadelphia 76ers.
For now, Tatum is focused solely on the long road back.
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