The Celtics without Jayson Tatum will look very different from the squad that lifted the 2024 championship trophy. His absence leaves a massive void- one not easily filled- and fans are feeling the weight of it. Yet, in the middle of that uncertainty, Jaylen Brown isn’t standing alone. An expert has stepped in to offer a glimmer of reassurance.

That expert is Dr. Jesse Morse, known to many as the face of Injury Expertz on YouTube. While he’s made his name treating NFL athletes, Morse also analyzes major injuries across sports. Though he’s not directly involved in Tatum’s recovery, he’s been studying the forward’s case closely and recently shared his insights in a new video.

According to Dr. Morse, the timeline for Tatum’s recovery began on May 13, 2025, the night of his on-court injury. Surgery followed almost immediately- a moment fans won’t forget, thanks to Tatum’s emotional post from his hospital bed. Morse described that rapid surgical turnaround as “unheard of, but potentially invaluable”– a decision that could make all the difference in how quickly Tatum returns to form.

He also touts, Dr. Martin O’Malley, who performed the surgery as the only physician on a newly released cutting edge paper regarding Achilles rehabilitation. Based on Dr. O’Malley’s paper, if Tatum checks every point in his recovery, the earliest date he can get on the court is October 28, 2025.

It may be cutting it a little close, but Morse adds, “Assuming no setbacks I think November/December is possible, but January is probably more realistic.” That puts Tatum’s possible return before the All-Star break, when most rumors circulating claim he’d return after the ASG weekend.

This is of course, just speculation on Dr. Morse’s part. The official return and its timeline depend on Tatum and his medical team, which includes Dr. O’Malley.

What this does give is a little more hope that’s lacking in Celtics nation after major roster changes. At this point, all eyes are on Jaylen Brown to keep fans’ expectations alive.

Jaylen Brown is carrying the new Celtics

The offseason in Boston was dramatic to say the least. Jayson Tatum’s comeback is still up in the air yet the team has built around him and Jaylen Brown with huge trades. They’ve lost teammates they depended on during the 2024 title run – Kristaps Porzingis traded to the Atlanta Hawks, Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Al Horford signed with the Golden State Warriors.

The Celtics training camp is also showing signs of roster changes as Joe Mazzulla is experimenting with different strategies to make up for JT’s void. It’s understandable for the head coach to recalibrate when historically, players take nine months to a year to recover from Achilles injuries. But as Dr. Morse stated, Tatum is ahead of schedule and could return in early 2026.

The biggest hint came from Jaylen Brown on his Twitch stream. He answered a fan’s question about Tatum with, “JT looked great, though, I’m not going to lie… “I’ve never seen anybody recover so fast from an Achilles injury, from any injury to that level… JT’s been going crazy… Anybody with a drive and a work ethic and a passion for the game, I’m not surprised.”

That might be the cutting-edge expertise on Achilles recovery of Dr. O’Malley that the ‘Injury Expertz’ is talking about. Till the prediction really comes true, Brown’s leadership is keeping the Celtics’ community together. However, it’s also visible that he’s missing his teammates.

In a separate interview, Brown confessed that the roster changes have affected him. “It’s a little bit sad, a lot of the guys I spent a lot of time with, we had such a great group over the last couple of years. To see them not be around anymore obviously is going to have an effect on our team.”

He further added, “but we have five new players we’ve got to get on board and acclimated into the system. And I’m trying to expedite that chemistry building, that trust building, so you guys can see a good product when we get to the floor.” 

Among them is Anfernee Simmons who restores some of that offensive power without Tatum. They’re going to need it when the Celtics open the 2025-26 season against the 76ers, who also have their own dilemma with Joel Embiid. Until we see the new Celtics play, fans are going to remain doubtful about their chances without JT.