Utah Jazz C Walker Kessler Ruled Out for Season

It looks like the Utah Jazz will be without their starting center for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Jazz center Walker Kessler is undergoing surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder that will require him to miss the rest of the season.

Utah's Walker Kessler is undergoing season-ending left shoulder surgery for a torn labrum, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 5, 2025

An absoultely brutal blow for the Jazz just five games into the regular season.

Kessler, now in his fourth year with the Jazz, had gotten off to a strong start to the season in a limited sample size, playing in just over 30 minutes a night to average a career-high 14.4 points and 3.0 assists per night, along with 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks.

Not too long after the Jazz's Halloween night loss vs. the Phoenix Suns, Kessler would be ruled out for the first of their five-game road trip vs. the Charlotte Hornets, as he would remain in Utah to undergo additional testing for his injured shoulder.

It's not the first time throughout the beginning motions of this season that Kessler's had concerns with his shoulder. Earlier in the preseason, the Jazz center missed three of Utah's first four exhibition games due to shoulder soreness, but nothing of much concern at the time.

But it turns out, that additional testing as the Jazz went on the road would reveal a much more impactful injury than initially expected, and one that will sideline Utah's defensive anchor for several months, and end his fourth year pro prematurely.

Walker Kessler Out for 2025-26 Season Due to Shoulder Surgery

Oct 22, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) dunks against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Kessler, 24, is signed onto the final year of his rookie deal ($4.87M) for this season, and will be hitting restricted free agency later this summer.

Now set to miss the rest of his contract year it's a devastating blow for the Jazz center looking to capitalize on a big pay day, and now makes for some interesting questions for what his future may look like for the offseason ahead.

In the meantime, the Jazz will likely continuing to roll with veteran center Jusuf Nurkic as their starting center in their frontcourt, who's been elevated into the starting five since Kessler missed his first game against the Hornets.

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