Fans are concerned for the Celtics star...
Jayson Tatum’s Monday Injury Update Has Celtics Fans Worried After Noticing One Key Detail originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Boston Celtics will have a much different look heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. Just one year removed from winning a championship, the team has seen several key players depart, including Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and likely Al Horford.
But the biggest loss may have been their All-NBA superstar, Jayson Tatum, who suffered a torn Achilles in Game 4 of the second-round series against the New York Knicks. This ended the rest of his playoffs and has put the upcoming season in jeopardy. The Celtics went on to lose to the Knicks in six.
Jayson Tatum Has Taken A Step In His Recovery
On Monday, Tatum attended the 5th Annual Charity Golf Tournament and Silent Auction, an event hosted by the Jayson Tatum Foundation. The former Duke Blue Devils star posted a few videos from the event on his Instagram Story where he was seen moving without a walking boot.
Just a day earlier, however, Tatum had appeared at another event hosted by his foundation wearing the boot. This places him at roughly 11 weeks post-Achilles tear, which aligns with the standard recovery timeline.
Jayson Tatum is walking without a boot👀
— Playoff BOS (@PlayoffBOS) July 28, 2025
BIG NEWS pic.twitter.com/zU4WAM99GK
Fans Noticed Something Concerning About Jayson Tatum
While shedding the walking boot is a positive step in Tatum’s recovery, fans quickly noticed that his injured leg appeared significantly smaller. This is likely due to muscle atrophy, a common effect of prolonged inactivity. Still, they took to social media to leave their thoughts.
"His legs are super skinny," one fan said.
"It’s insane what a few months of muscle atrophy will do. His right leg looks significantly smaller," added another.
"Man that leg is small Take your time JT," wrote a third.
"Look how skinny that leg is. Holy (expletive)," commented a fourth.
"Looking like KD out there lol," claimed a fifth.
"Leg looking like a toothpick," posted a sixth.
With Tatum likely out all of next season, the Celtics will likely rely heavily on Jaylen Brown, who is also recovering from offseason surgery. Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons, who was acquired from the Holiday trade, will probably have larger roles as well.
Related: Jayson Tatum Posts Exciting Update on Sunday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
