Only, it wasn’t really about basketball. Rather, Steichen sought out any guidance that Stevens may be able to share regarding Achilles post-surgery recovery, after Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum previously underwent Achilles surgery by the same surgeon who recently performed Colts starting quarterback Daniel Jones’ procedure a few months ago (via The Athletic’s James Boyd). #Colts HC Shane Steichen spoke to #Celtics president Brad Stevens about Jayson Tatum’s Achilles recovery. Tatum and Daniel Jones both got surgery from Dr.

Martin O’Malley.“(Tatum) was in that building all day every day and Daniel’s the same way.” pic.twitter.com/GbVsZcPn1c— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) April 21, 2026It’s not the first time that Stevens has offered his insight he has firsthand experienced with his star player’s recovery from a torn Achilles with an Indianapolis professional sports head coach. Specifically, Stevens reached out to Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle last July regarding Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered the same devastating Achilles injury—only during Game 7 of last summer’s NBA Finals. It is good to know that Jones, who’s already throwing and performing drop-backs on his road to regaining his prior breakout career year form, isn’t alone in his recovery.

Rather, there have been a number of star professional athletes who have suffered the same injury and underwent the same surgery, and there’s an established protocol for rehabilitation and recovery. There are likely some helpful tips that Stevens can share regarding what worked well and what didn’t—and what to reasonably expect. The early signs regarding Jones recovery are encouraging, and he’s arguably ahead of schedule—with a hopeful and still realistic return by Colts training camp in mid-to-late July.