The Boston Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum for a while.
They tip off the new season Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, but Tatum will just be on the sideline in street clothes.
It creates a new-look type of season for the Celtics, who will have everyone else stepping into larger roles with Tatum out.
It already led to some offseason maneuvering, with Boston trading away Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday while letting Al Horford walk in free agency. A stretch of time without Tatum has Boston viewing this season differently.
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Why isn’t Jayson Tatum playing?
Jayson Tatum isn’t playing because he’s out long term with an injury.
Tatum tore his Achilles in the 2025 postseason, rendering him inactive for what can often be up to a year.
NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg predicted that Tatum could be back as soon as February.
“The speculation is going to be perpetual, especially once Tatum is able to start really cranking up his on-court work,” Forsberg said. “There are plenty of steps to navigate and the Celtics must exercise maximum caution with the long term in mind. But we threw a dart at March while predicting a potential Tatum return date over the summer, and we’re already eager to update our forecast.”
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The Athletic recently speculated at a March return for Tatum.
The initial hope for Celtics fans when Tatum went down with his torn Achilles during the playoffs was that maybe, just maybe, he’d heal up in time for a 2026 postseason run.
Celtics’ fans were initially hoping Tatum would just get back in time for a potential 2026 playoff run, and maybe that’s a more realistic timeline.
For now, though, and for a while, Tatum will still be on the sideline as he works behind the scenes to heal up.
