Jayson Tatum looks to be progressing quite well in his recovery from a torn Achilles, going through a 45-minute workout with Celtics coaches last Monday in Detroit in front of cameras. The progress nine months after undergoing surgery to repair the injury is making whispers grow louder about his potential return next season.

The Celtics have gotten off to a surprising start to the season without Tatum, going 28-17 through 45 games to take control of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The elite standing in the East has led to increased speculation that Tatum could return ahead of schedule, given how wide open the Eastern Conference is among contenders.

In an appearance on ESPN’s Inside the NBA this weekend, Charles Barkley expressed some concern about Tatum’s progression.

“I got a bad feeling Jayson Tatum is coming back,” Barkley said. Normally, when guys have an Achilles, they are out for a year. What a saw him doing last week, he’s going to come back this year.”

When questioned about his bad feeling, Barkley explained he thought the recovery timeline would be unprecedented in the NBA for this type of injury.

“It’s a great thing but I don’t think we ever had a player come back from an Achilles [this soon],” Barkley said. “This dude out here dunking and everything. He’s got another four or five months to go. They wouldn’t have put him in front of the media in my opinion. They did that intentionally.”

NBA analyst and Hall of Famer Vince Carter also urged caution to a speedy Tatum recovery in a recent appearance on NBA on NBC as he gets closer to a return.

“Take your time, young fella,” Carter said. “It’s no rush because if you’re going to do this, do it right the first time. You don’t want to consistently be in and out of the lineup, or something else goes bad. Just do it right the first time. Sometimes, as athletes, we need to be saved from ourselves. And don’t rush this process. They’re going to make the playoffs. Don’t rush back just because you’re feeling good, man.”

Tatum underwent surgery to repair his torn Achilles on May 13, 2025, which means he is now about eight months and one week into his recovery. Tatum’s father, Justin, told ESPN’s Marc Spears last May that the Celtics star was aiming for a return to the floor after 8-9 months.