Celtics Announce Jaylen Brown Injury Update After Leaving Raptors Game
The Boston Celtics are entering the 2025–26 season facing more uncertainty than the organization has dealt with in nearly a decade. Franchise centerpiece Jayson Tatum is sidelined indefinitely with a ruptured Achilles, and several key contributors from the team’s 2024 championship run are gone due to aggressive payroll cuts. The roster looks dramatically different, and the pressure now shifts to Jaylen Brown, who will be tasked with anchoring a team in transition.
As the Celtics prepare for their regular season opener on Oct. 22 against the Philadelphia 76ers, Brown’s health has suddenly become a concern. After playing in the preseason opener, he sat out the next two games for rest before returning to the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors.
Just seven minutes into the game, Brown grabbed at his left hamstring while pushing the pace in transition and immediately exited for the locker room. The team later announced unfortunate news: “Injury update vs. Toronto: Jaylen Brown (left hamstring tightness) – DOUBTFUL TO RETURN,” via X.
If Brown is forced to miss time, it would be a significant blow to Boston’s already depleted depth chart. He’s expected to shoulder the bulk of the offensive load. Since being selected third overall in 2016, Brown has played nine seasons with the Celtics, earning four All-Star selections, an All-NBA honor and winning his first NBA title in 2024. He signed a five-year, $304 million extension in July 2023—the richest contract in NBA history at the time.
If the hamstring tightness lingers, it could complicate Brown’s expanded role and leave the Celtics even more vulnerable to a slow start.
Brown, a 28-year-old small forward, has long been a reliable two-way presence for Boston. Known for his explosive athleticism, physical defense, and ability to create his own shot, Brown has steadily evolved into one of the league’s most complete wings. Last season, he averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across 63 games, shooting 46.3% from the field while logging 34.3 minutes per contest. With Tatum out and the bench thinned, Brown’s ability to generate offense and set the tone defensively will be critical to keeping Boston afloat in a competitive Eastern Conference.
‘Dream’ Trade Pitch Brings Broncos $40 Million Former Sean Payton Protege
It’s the reunion everyone wants — the grizzled old head coach and his former charge. Back together, on a contender, with one last shot to win it all.
Getting Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton and New Orleans Saints utility player Taysom Hill back together would be a dream for football die hards around the country, and ESPN’s Bill Barnwell
Barnwell’s “Dream Scenario” trade brings Hill and a 2028 seventh round pick to the Broncos in exchange for a 2028 sixth round pick.
Hill played for Payton on the Saints from 2017 to 2021. While he’s officially listed as a tight end, he can play quarterback, running back and wide receiver as well.
“Let’s reunite Hill with his biggest fan,” Barnwell wrote on October 16. “Sean Payton’s Broncos have plenty of playmakers, but they could always stand to add another threat on short yardage and in the red zone.
Hill Back Playing After Torn ACL in 2024
Hill missed the last 9 games of 2024 with a torn ACL in his left knee but returned for a Week 5 win over the
Hill is in the final season of the 4-year, $40 million contract he signed with the Saints in November 2021 — Payton’s final season in New Orleans — and would count $13.7 million in dead money for the Saints in 2026 if he’s traded this season. That would be negated a little bit by the Saints saving $2.8 million if he’s traded now.
The Saints are a team with a first year head coach in Kellen Moore and in the first steps of a massive rebuild — one that will likely include drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. Adding draft capital is key to their future.
“Hill would get a chance to go play for a team with meaningful football ahead in the final days of his NFL career, and I suspect he wouldn’t need too much lead time to learn the playbook,” Barnwell wrote.
‘Human Swiss Army Knife’ Can Fill Any Role
In just 8 games in 2024 before he tore his ACL, Hill had 465 yards from scrimmage and 6 total touchdowns and has scored at least 5 touchdowns in each of the last 5 seasons.
Getting Hill and Payton back together would equal a certain amount of bliss for die-hard NFL fans — and is something people have been pining for since the end of last season
After making the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2017, Hill quickly developed into a special teams star before Payton began finding larger roles for him in the offense
In terms of having a player who could do almost anything on a football field, Hill is almost unmatched over the last 20 years. In 105 career games he has 3,809 all-purpose yards and 55 total touchdowns — 33 rushing touchdowns, 11 receiving touchdowns and 11 passing touchdowns.
