When Jayson Tatum went through an entire workout in front of reporters in Detroit last week, the message was clear — he is getting closer and closer to a return from the torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs last May. Reinforcements for Boston's playoff run seemed to be on the way.

Now, Tatum is reconsidering that comeback and may sit out the entire season, according to multiple reports.

First, he spoke with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and said he "wants to get it right the first time, so it's just a lot to think about."

Later that night, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on NBA TV that Tatum is re-evaluating everything and may sit out the entire season.

Tatum tore his Achilles tendon last May, in Game 4 of the Celtics' second-round series against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Recovery time for an elite Athlete from a torn Achilles is usually 10-12 months, and the early end of that timeline would have Tatum returning in March, with time to play for a month with the Celtics, get his legs under him and fit in with one of the surprise teams in the East.

Tatum thinks a lot about how he would fit in with these Celtics, he said in a recent appearance on "The Pivot Podcast" (hat tip The Athletic).

"If or when I do come back this season, they will have played 50 some-odd games without me, so they have an identity this year or things that they've felt have clicked for them. And it's been successful. They're the (second) team in the East up to this point. So there is a thought in my head, like, how does that work? Or how does that look with me integrating myself off the injury … 50, 60 games into a season? There obviously could be some challenges. And it is a thought: Do I come back? Should I wait? It's something that I honestly, recently, in the last two weeks or so just kind of contemplate every single day."

Boston and New York are currently tied for second in the East, seeding that will matter come the postseason. Led by Jaylen Brown, who is having the kind of season that lands him on MVP ballots, Boston has the No. 2 offense in the NBA, and the defense has been solid enough to win games. In a wide-open East this year, the expectation was that Tatum, anywhere close to his old form, would elevate this team to potential Eastern Conference favorites.

Yet every time there was talk of a Tatum return, there has been a chorus of voices — including medical experts and former front office people — suggesting Tatum take the entire season off and not push for an early comeback. They suggested he take the same position as Tyrese Haliburton, who ruptured his Achilles a month later in the NBA Finals, and just take this entire season off, then return at full strength for the 2026-27 season.

That decision ultimately falls to Tatum, his medical team and the Boston Celtics medical staff. Tatum is at least considering the long-term, patient approach. Ultimately, he needs to do what is best for himself, his body, and his career — and that's no easy call. He's got time to really think it through, but a decision day is coming sometime after the All-Star break.