Jayson Tatum just delivered an eye-catching injury update

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum made one thing clear as he made his way around the media circuit Tuesday -- he isn’t ruling out a return in the 2025-26 season. Tatum’s goal caught many by surprise, as the expectation was for him to be sidelined for the entire year as he recovers from his torn Achilles tendon.

The possibility of a return dominated the day’s headlines and excited plenty of fans. Whether or not that possibility will become reality can only be determined by time. We’re going to have to wait and see.

As for the present, Tatum did share an update on his rehab and where he is in the process.

"I would say right now the period I'm in, it's getting pretty much back to like ramping up basketball workouts,” He told ESPN’s Malika Andrews during his NBA Today appearance. “Yesterday I had my first on-court basketball workout for about 15-20 minutes, and it just felt really natural."

Rehab is going well for Jayson Tatum

Getting back onto the court is a major step towards Tatum’s full recovery. The 27-year-old has spent countless hours rehabbing over the past 19 weeks to prepare his body for basketball activities again.

Last week, 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand reported that JT’s summer consisted of five-day rehab weeks at the Auerbach Center with quick weekend getaways built in, too. Tatum clarified Tuesday that he’d actually committed to six days of workouts each week throughout the offseason.

His work ethic has allowed JT to feel confident in making a relatively quick return to action, without feeling he’s doing so prematurely -- something he stressed on multiple occasions.

Tatum’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Martin O’Malley, told People Magazine that he has been blown away by the rapid progress the Celtics' cornerstone has been able to make.

"I don't think I've seen a person's calf look as strong as his,” O’Malley explained. “At six or eight weeks, he was doing double heel rises. He worked his calf so hard that the side effect of loss of strength, I don't think he's going to have any."

Though some online have speculated that Tatum could return to action in the coming months, there’s a good chance that it’ll still be a while before fans see him take the floor again. The St. Louis native made it clear that when they do see him again, it’ll be at TD Garden for a Celtics home game.

"I put a date on the calendar of when I will be 100 percent ready and able to play,” Tatum continued. “Whenever that date is, it will be a home game in front of the fans at TD Garden. That is something that I have dreamed about and envisioned."

Whenever that day/night is, it’ll be a special moment for sure. There’s no doubt that Tatum will receive a long and loud ovation from the Garden faithful when his name is called during pregame introductions.