Tyrese Haliburton Injury Update: When Will He Be Back?
Tyrese Haliburton showing up at the CyHawk game in Ames this weekend said a lot without him actually needing to say much.
No walking boot, rocking Iowa State gear like it was still freshman orientation, laughing on set with Fox, he looked like himself.
But beneath the bright sweatshirt and playful trash talk, there’s still the hard truth: Haliburton’s torn Achilles is going to keep him away from the NBA floor for a very long time.
This is one of those stories where you feel both the sting and the hope all at once. He’s out for the year, but every little clip, every update, feels like a small victory. Let’s break it all down.
Tyrese Haliburton Injury Update
The short answer: Haliburton won’t be back this season. The Pacers made that clear over the summer, ruling him out for the entire 2025-26 NBA season as he recovers from surgery on his torn Achilles tendon.
That said, the recent signs have been surprisingly positive. Just last week, a video surfaced showing him already working on free throws at the team’s facility.
Sure, it’s stationary, no explosive movement yet, but for fans (and probably his teammates), it was like seeing sunlight cut through a storm cloud. At the CyHawk game, he admitted he’ll still wear the walking boot in crowded spots “just for safety,” but on set he looked relaxed, animated, very un-boot-like.
Honestly, as a fan, it’s bittersweet: encouraging to see him smiling courtside, yet tough knowing we’ll miss his floor vision and selfless passing for a whole year.
But if there’s a silver lining to guys like Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson proving Achilles comebacks are very possible, Haliburton is young enough and wired enough to bounce back stronger.
What Happened to Tyrese Haliburton?
He tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals — a gut-punch injury at the worst possible time. Picture this: Pacers versus Mavericks, everything on the line, and his season (really, his career momentum) ends on one unlucky movement.
Now, the question everyone asked him: did he regret playing? His answer, on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, was blunt: “Hell no.” There’s something honest about that.
If you’re a competitor, you’re not sitting out Game 7 of the Finals, no matter the risk. It stings, but it also kind of defines him as selfless, team-first, maybe even stubborn in the best way.
Rehab is slow, and Achilles tears don’t really care about your schedule. But Haliburton has already shown up at practices, at community events, in videos smiling alongside teammates.
That matters. Injuries aren’t just about the body; keeping that spirit alive plays a role too.
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Tyrese Haliburton Contract
Just to frame how big this recovery is: Haliburton signed a five-year, $245 million extension with the Indiana Pacers in 2023. That’s franchise cornerstone-level money.
You don’t hand that out unless you believe a guy is going to define your team’s next decade.
This season he’ll technically be sidelined, but the investment is really about the long game. The Pacers built their roster around his vision literally on the court, where his passing and pace create everything.
They know this season might feel incomplete, but the hope is 2026-27 brings him back fully, ready to lead Indiana deep again.
It’s wild to think about: we’ve seen how teams like Golden State or Brooklyn maneuvered stars returning from Achilles injuries. Some came back cautious; some exploded. The Pacers are betting Haliburton is in the “explode” category.
Tyrese Haliburton Stats
Before the injury, Haliburton was all about stuffing the box score in ways that quietly changed games. Here’s the quick snapshot from 2024-25 season (regular season numbers):
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Points per game: 21.8
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Assists per game: 11.2 (led the league)
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Rebounds per game: 4.1
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3P%: 40.2
Those numbers don’t just tell us he’s a good player, they scream engine of the team. Watching Indiana play without him is like seeing an orchestra with no conductor. The music’s still there, but the cohesion isn’t.
The Pacers entered the Finals in large part because of his consistency. Think about that: Indiana, in the Finals, behind a guy who’s as unflashy as he is brilliant. That’s why fans miss him so much already.
Why It Still Feels Like Hope
Seeing Haliburton tossing confetti with Fox Sports this weekend, teasing Iowa during the rivalry, joking about Kawhi Leonard or Brock Purdy, it’s clear his joy hasn’t been dimmed.
And that counts for something. Injuries test not just tendons but also identities. He seems determined, grounded, still connected to his roots in Ames, to his Pacers family, and even to his silly joke-telling self.
The reality is simple: we won’t see Tyrese Haliburton on an NBA court until late 2026 at the earliest. That hurts, both for fans and for a Pacers squad that just tasted the Finals.
But the optimism is real. His rehab is “coming along well.” Videos of him shooting again reinforce that. The Achilles timeline is brutal, but if there’s anyone who seems wired to overcome it, it’s Haliburton.
