Jayson Tatum wants to play this season — that isn’t news. When ESPN’s Shams Charania goes on Pat McAfee’s show and says that very thing, no one should be surprised.
"The Celtics haven't ruled out Jayson
Tatum for the season and they're cautiously optimistic.. He has a goal in mind that he wants to play this season and we'll see if he gets there" @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/nfVq9tHOaB
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 9, 2025
The Celtics haven’t ruled Tatum out for the year either. Charania didn’t break any news with this report. However, I do think it is notable that he mentioned that Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton have already been ruled out for the season.
This isn’t a shot at those guys. Haliburton tore his Achilles six weeks after Tatum did and Lillard is 35. However, this is another example to praise Jayson Tatum for his, as Jaylen Brown put it, ‘superhuman comeback.’
As Brown said on his Twitch stream, “I’ve never seen anyone recover so fast from an Achilles injury, from any injury to that level. JT been going crazy.”
Jaylen Brown just described Jayson Tatum’s recovery as “superhuman” on his Twitch stream:
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) October 6, 2025
“JT’s been going crazy.” pic.twitter.com/FWn7xQxMvf
Nothing in Jayson Tatum’s past should tell us otherwise, he has always been someone who has worked incredibly hard on his game. When Jayson Tatum went on the Today Show’s Jenna and Friends last month, he said that he has a goal in his mind on a date that he wants to return.
@jennaandfriends_ Could we be seeing Jayson Tatum on the court this season? 👀 The NBA player hasn't ruled out the possibility, but he says making a full recovery and not rushing it is the most important thing. #JennaandFriends ♬ original sound – TODAY with Jenna & Friends
“What I will say is, I am not working out, rehabbing six days a week for no reason,” Tatum said. He has indicated at every turn that not only does he want to play but that he seems to expect to play.
I’m not saying that should be your expectation because it shouldn’t. Do I think Tatum will play this season? Yes, I do, everything in recent weeks has pointed to it. Am I going to hold him to it and be mad if he doesn’t? No, certainly not because as Tatum has also said, the most important thing is being 100%, is being the Jayson Tatum we saw last season again.
Charania also talked about if the Celtics aren’t a contender would Tatum return? “Let’s say he’s in March and he’s feeling 100% but the team’s not really competing for anything, do you really throw him out there? There’s gonna be a lot of questions.”
There is no guarantee that Jayson Tatum is going to suit up for the Boston Celtics this season. However, what was once an outside shot has become much more realistic. One thing is for certain, Jayson Tatum is going to do everything in his power to get back to being Jayson Tatum again.
