When fans showed up for a joint Patriots-Commanders training camp session in Foxboro, they expected to see Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels slinging passes. Instead, the loudest buzz came from the sidelines, when Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was spotted casually walking on the field. No crutches or a limp, and shockingly, no boot.
As news quickly hit social media, fans erupted with speculation. Was Tatum closer to returning than anyone thought? Is he testing the waters for a spring comeback? The moment ignited a firestorm of reactions, and then came something even more bizarre. Tatum’s own teammate, Derrick White, dropped a strange locker room tidbit on his White Noise podcast.
White noted, “There are guys on the team that have been giving me hell about not having a technical foul. Jayson Tatum told me he doesn’t respect me until I get a technical,” White said, clearly amused but dead serious. “We’ll see. Not against him, but I’m not going to go out of my way to get one. I’m going to get ejected.” But this isn’t some new kind of sports superstition. Tatum’s “strange demand” to White, a player known for his squeaky-clean court behavior shows the fire he brings to every aspect of his team.
Derrick White says Jayson Tatum doesn’t respect him til he gets a technical foul!
[Via White Noise Podcast] pic.twitter.com/It6rXUjRvc
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BASKETBALLonX) August 6, 2025
JT, the ultimate competitor, wants his teammates to carry some grit. Tatum is only three months removed from a devastating Achilles tear that ended his 2024-25 playoff run and is expected to keep him out for all of 2025-26. Yet there he was, not only walking without assistance but apparently giving motivational grief to teammates like everything’s normal. It’s a subtle flex, but fans and scouts alike are reading into every move.
Earlier reports confirmed what the eyes saw. Tatum is ahead of schedule and out of his boot. He’s moving around at basketball camps. A scout who saw him in Vegas said, “He was moving really well… I’ve seen guys coming back from Achilles’ tears, and he looked way ahead.”
Tatum’s Patriots cameo sends Twitter into overdrive
After @Kay_Breezy22 posted a video on X of Tatum walking the Patriots’ sideline with the caption, “Jayson Tatum is here at the #Patriots practice,” the fanbase exploded. TheAthleticNBA followed up with, “Jayson Tatum is in attendance for Patriots practice ,” sending the green team’s corner into full-on frenzy. It wasn’t just about rehab anymore. Instead, it seemingly became a symbol of defiance for the Celtics fanbase.
The possibility remains, no matter how slim, that maybe, just maybe, Tatum could suit up this season. One fan replied to Kayla’s post, “Gotta Love the Guy! Only wish he could run & jump on that foot of his.”
NBA insider Justin Termine has been vocal about Boston not rushing Tatum back. “Even if Tatum came back and looked like the same player as he always has, what’s the point?” he said on SiriusXM. With Jaylen Brown and Derrick White as the only true stars on the current roster, the Celtics aren’t built to contend next season. So the concern is understandable, coming from the fans as another chimed in with a meme-ready line, “NO BOOT GOOFIN.”
Some fans feel a bit more cautious. The 2025–26 campaign is shaping up to be a bridge year. A season to regroup, develop, and maybe slide into the lottery for another shot at reloading. One netizen wrote, “Yay! JT @jaytatumo without a boot and walking very well is a great sight to see!” But others weren’t sold on this bold move. As a commenter said, “For the love of GOD please just put the boot on at least”, while a Celtics fan wrote “No boot?” The reaction from Celtic Nation is split, as some want him wrapped in bubble wrap until 2026. Others are already drawing up fake playoff scenarios.
There’s no denying that Tatum’s already ahead of schedule. He’s moving, training, instructing, and apparently stirring things up in the locker room, too. Whether he returns this season or not, Tatum’s presence continues to shape the energy around this team. Even while rehabbing one of the toughest injuries in sports. Celtics fans are just hoping that all of this swagger translates to a full-blown comeback… but only when the time is right.
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