One Jayson Tatum Condition Could Shift Eastern Conference
Jayson Tatum’s injury recovery has generated a ton of buzz around the NBA lately.
Although the other NBA stars with Achilles injuries are planning for a year off in 2025-2026, Tatum won’t confirm that will be the case for him. He has a target date in mind—he won’t reveal the day—and he won’t say that he’s sitting out for the 2025-2026 season.
As a result, there’s been speculation that he could be back much sooner than anybody expected.
“There’s definitely buzz that Tatum could potentially be back sometime in March,”
The Celtics Need to Have a Chance
Nobody can make any sure predictions for the 2025-2026 Celtics because they’ve gone through some major changes since the summer.
Kristaps Porzingis was traded away to the Atlanta Hawks. Jrue Holiday was moved to the Portland Trail Blazers. Al Horford packed up and signed with the Golden State Warriors. Jayson Tatum is going to miss a large chunk of time for the first time in his career.
Now, the NBA will see how far the likes of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Anfernee Simons can take the Celtics. If they are at least on the brink of contention, it seems there might be a slight chance that they could get a boost deep into the year.
“I don't think anyone in Boston views this current Celtics roster without Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford as a team that is going to be competing with the likes of Cleveland and New York, and even if healthy, comparing it to Philadelphia's roster, I don't think that Boston really does consider themselves a championship contender this season at all,” Fischer later added. “There’s still a belief that Boston could be competitive enough to warrant a Jayson Tatum early return. I don’t think so, but this is still a market development.”
The 2024-2025 Celtics finished the year as the Eastern Conference’s second seed with a 61-21 record. With core players still in the mix, Boston should be strong enough to fight for a spot in the postseason. Since the Eastern Conference is considered to be open this season, an early Tatum return might be intriguing if the star forward is truly healthy enough to play.
But it’s too early to make that call. Tatum and the Celtics’ medical team still have plenty of work to do before they can make such a major decision on his eventual return to action.
Seahawks’ $31 Million Star Hit with Major Punishment Just Before Bucs Game
The NFL revealed punishment for multiple Seattle Seahawks players on the eve of the team’s Week 5 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Running back Ken Walker and cornerback Devon Witherspoon both received fines for taunting against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4.
The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta reported that both players received $11,593 fines. Neither player received further discipline but will be on the hook for sending the league a check. While the two stars’ wallets are a little lighter, the good news is that suspensions were not levied.
It is a rough stretch for Witherspoon who is also recovering from a knee injury. The good news is Witherspoon is on a four-year, $31.8 million contract, so the fine will not hurt the defender too bad.
“Walker was penalized for his taunting, Witherspoon was not,” Condotta noted in an October 4, 2025, message on X. “Arizona had no fines.”
Here’s what you need to know as the Seahawks host the Buccaneers.
The Seahawks Are 3.5-Point Favorites vs. Buccaneers in NFL Odds
Seattle finds itself as a slight home favorite against Tampa Bay. The Seahawks are 3.5-point favorites versus the Buccaneers, per FanDuel.
Both teams enter the contest at 3-1, and the Buccaneers are coming off their first loss of the season. Tampa Bay’s comeback attempt versus Philadelphia failed as the Bucs lost 31-25 to the Eagles in Week 4.
The Seahawks Will Be Without Several Key Players vs. Bucs, Including Devon Witherspoon & DeMarcus Lawrence
Ahead of the contest, the Seahawks elevated safety Jerrick Reed II and defensive tackle Brandon Pili from the team’s practice squad. Seattle is hoping to benefit from an extended rest period following the team’s Thursday Night Football matchup against Arizona.
The Seahawks will be without several key players against the Buccaneers including Witherspoon, safety Julian Love, pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence and tackle Josh Jones.
Second-Round Pick Nick Emmanwori Is Expected to Play After Missing 3 Games
Second-round pick Nick Emmanwori is expected to suit up against the Bucs. The safety has missed the last three games with an ankle injury.
“I’m super excited, man,” Emmanwori noted on October 3, via Seahawks.com. “I got hurt like five plays into my debut, so I’m ready to get back out there.
“I’ve been doing a lot of grinding for rehab and PT and stuff, so I’m just excited to show face. …I think I deserve to get a restart, so this is officially my second debut.”
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Has Shined During Seattle’s Winning Streak
Quarterback Sam Darnold has recovered nicely since struggling during the team’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the season opener. Darnold has been a major factor as the Seahawks won the last three straight games.
I think it’s his decisiveness on how he’s playing,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said of Darnold, per Seahawks.com.
“He’s staying true to his reads and he’s rocking it when it’s there and when it’s not, he’s progressing and then checking it down or using his legs, and that’s what we’re asking him to do. And I think he’s doing it obviously at a really high level right now.”
