Jayson Tatum Serving as Blueprint for Daniel Jones' Achilles Injury Recovery, Colts HC Says

Jayson Tatum is back on the court and playing at a high level for the Boston Celtics less than one year after he ruptured his Achilles, and the Indianapolis Colts are hoping quarterback Daniel Jones can follow his example.

"I think he's four and a half months post-op. His rehab process has been phenomenal," head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Tuesday. "He went to the same doctor that Tatum went to, Tatum is rolling right now for the Celtics. I had the chance to talk to Brad Stevens, and his rehab process that Tatum went through, he was in that building all day, every day. 

"And Daniel is the same way. Those guys know how to go about their business in the rehab process. I think Daniel is doing it the right way. Him dropping back and throwing right now is pretty awesome."

Tatum suffered his injury in May 2025 during Boston's second-round loss to the New York Knicks, which immediately put his 2025-26 campaign into doubt as well.

Yet he returned on March 6 and played 16 games during the regular season while averaging 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 32.6 minutes a night. While he may still be working his way back to reach the elite level he was playing at before the injury, he has been a star on the floor for Boston.

And he is also a major reason the Celtics are seen as championship contenders in the early going of the playoffs. He challenged for a triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the Game 1 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in their first-round series.

76ers-Celtics Highlights

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As for Jones, he suffered his torn Achilles during a December game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It cut short a promising campaign that saw him go 8-5 as a starter and throw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

That didn't stop Indianapolis from agreeing on a two-year, $88 million contract this offseason with Jones, which means he will still be under plenty of pressure to perform in 2026 even as he comes back from the injury.

If he continues to follow the Tatum blueprint, that shouldn't be a problem.