Prominent analyst Bill Simmons’ prediction about Jayson Tatum’s return has failed. However, the Boston Celtics fans apparently won’t have to wait longer to see their superstar on the court.

“Tatum, it feels like it’s going to be Friday in Dallas. That’s what all signs are pointing to, Friday in Dallas,” said Simmons on his podcast with Zach Love. “I was wondering if it would be this weekend, but by Friday. I think it was not going to be this weekend.”

This comes after Simmons predicted weeks ago that JT would return during the first week of March for Sunday’s game against the 76ers. But this did not materialize, even though NBC had the primetime slot. So it still could be the first week of March, but the return could be on Friday when the Dallas Mavericks come to town.

After just nine months post-surgery, Jayson Tatum could be back on court thanks to his positive rehab work throughout 2026. On February 9, Tatum practiced with the Celtics‘ G League affiliate, but still remained undecided about his return. By late February, he was fully participating in scrimmages, focusing on calf strength and mental confidence.

The documentary series “The Quiet Work” offered a glimpse into his emotional process, and two episodes were released during the Sixers game, hyping fans for the potential return. In fact, NBC moved Sunday’s matchup with the Sixers into primetime, but both Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid missed the game. The Celtics star was in the building alongside his teammates, but he was wearing street clothes.

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Jayson Tatum’s two hurdles and his mindset for his return

ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed the two most essential components of his recovery journey: the physical and the mental. “There are two elements right now at play, one is increasing the strength in both of his calves off of that Achilles tendon injury, and the big hurdle of all of this is getting 100% there on the mental side, getting the confidence in his leg fully when he’s back,” Charania said.

During the third episode of The Quiet Work, Jayson Tatum spoke to orthopedic surgeon Martin O’Malley, and it gave us an insight into his mindset. Dr. O’Malley suggested that after the surgery and current progress, JT could go back to his old self when he dominated the league. Tatum said, “Ain’t come back to be no role player, doc.”

However, as Simmons predicted, the date against the Mavericks, there is no official update either from Jayson Tatum or the Boston Celtics. So, the wait could go on.