🔗 Share this article

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has stated that he recently spoke with defensive back Kris Boyd and feels certain the player will recover well after being shot in central New York in the early hours of Sunday.

Glenn noted that Boyd, currently in the hospital, was “upbeat” during their recent conversation.

“What reassures me, is that he’s feeling positive,” Glenn stated on Wednesday. “His wife and child, they’re in good spirits and he will come through this without issue.”

It remained unclear when Boyd would leave the medical facility, where he is reported as critical but stable.

“Not certain at the moment,” Glenn remarked. “However, I can share, hearing him speak, he felt really upbeat. Furthermore, that puts my mind at ease, that he feels like that and he’s talking that way.”

Authorities released surveillance images earlier this week of a man sought in the attack on the player. What prompted the attack remains under investigation and authorities said it is unknown if Boyd was the intended victim. No one else was hurt were reported.

The attack took place around 2 a.m. on Sunday morning about halfway between Madison Square Garden and Times Square. Boyd, 29, was taken to a local hospital after sustaining an abdominal gunshot wound, according to authorities. The shooter fled the scene.

Glenn mentioned Boyd has been on his mind “a great deal” since he heard about the shooting. He further stated that Boyd and his spouse recently welcomed a newborn.

“What immediately crossed my mind, he recently became a father,” Glenn noted. “And I’m thinking about his wife, I’m thinking about his kid and my priority is his well-being. That was my main concern.

“There’s a process to this, that I won’t detail, but I am pleased that his outcome looks very positive.”

Boyd hasn’t played in the present campaign, his debut year with New York, after being placed on injured reserve on mid-August with an injury to his shoulder that required surgery.

He signed with New York as a free agent in spring and was anticipated to become an important component of an improved special teams group under Glenn and special teams coordinator Chris Banjo. But Boyd was injured during preseason drills on early August and was carted from the field.

Boyd has remained around the team throughout the season while working his way back.

“He has stayed engaged with the team,” Glenn stated. “I mean, he attends every game. He’s fully engaged. Given his status as a special teams standout, he’s done a really good job of helping the other guys we have.”

Boyd, hailing from the Lone Star State, played his first four seasons with the Vikings after getting drafted in the seventh round by the Vikings out of UT in 2019. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023 and then joined Houston’s practice squad after that. Boyd agreed to a one-year deal for $1.6 million with the Jets in the spring.