Utah Jazz Provide Encouraging Update on Kyle Filipowski's Back Injury

The Utah Jazz have been without their young big man, Kyle Filipowski, for a bit of time now due to back surgery that was done earlier this offseason.

Filipowski had suffered a herniated disc in his back while training before the start of last season, leading to him playing out the entire year in pain with sciatica in his leg. He would ultimately appear in 77 games throughout the year, undergo surgery this offseason, and has been rehabbing since.

And so far, through two preseason games, we haven't seen Filipowski back on the floor just yet.

He's been among the few names off to the sidelines due to injury along with Brice Sensabaugh and now, Jusuf Nurkic, without a clear indication to this point of when he'll be ready to get back into the lineup.

However, we finally got an update from the Jazz coaching staff that might hint towards a Filipowski return sooner rather than later.

Will Hardy Gives Update on Kyle Filipowski's Back Injury

Following a weekend practice for the Jazz, head coach Will Hardy spoke about where Filipowski stands in the recovery process from his back injury, noting that while he's progressing well, there isn't an exact timeline for when his return might be.

"Yeah, he's progressing well," Hardy said. "We're hopeful that he's back with us soon. I know 'soon' is an arbitrary word, but he's going through all the necessary steps to get back on the court.

"I know he's very antsy to get back. It's been a long summer of rehab, and the hope is that he'll be back out there soon."

Filipowski is a considerable piece of not only the Jazz's future endeavors as a talented 23-year-old big man, but he's also a big part of Utah's frontcourt rotation for this season–– whenever it is that he's deemed fully healthy to get back on the floor for a game.

Mar 28, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last year, Filipowski played a little over 23 minutes per game, where he averaged 11.4 points on 49.2% shooting from the field, pairing with 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 a night. He even found his way as a starter for 41 games.

While not the year-two jump that many had expected last season, Filipowski did note a couple of weeks ago at Jazz media day that he was playing through pain all across the year––which probably didn't help his case much for that desired leap in his development.

The good news is that Filipowski, even as he's stuck sidelined to start training camp, already seems to be feeling better than he was last year after his offseason surgery, which should be a positive sign of things to come in a big third season.

"I mean, I'm back to normal. I'm better than what I was last year. I had to play through this all last season, and it wasn't a lot of fun," Filipowski said.

"But, the time to do the surgery was after the season. I did it, and I've been working hard all summer to get back and better, and be ready to go for [training camp]. So, I'm great. I'm better than what I was. So, I'm really happy with where I'm at."

The Jazz have two more preseason games on tap before their regular season gets underway on October 21st vs. the Memphis Grizzlies.

Whether or not Filipowski winds up playing in either of those two exhibitions, or if he's going to be available for game one on the road in Memphis, remains to be seen. But at the very least, it does seem as if Filipowski's health is on the upward trend from where things have been.

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