News that Jets CB Kris Boyd was shot in the abdomen early Sunday morning in Manhattan sent a shudder through the Jets' locker room as the team on Monday regrouped and prepared for Sunday's game at Baltimore.
"I know some players who've communicated with him, I personally have not," said DL Harrison Phillips, who played with Boyd with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022. "I just know there's been a lot of answered prayers. It's a blessing to know that he's in stable condition, surrounded by his family with a lot of support around him, definitely for where the news originally was reported. There's a lot of panic and a lot of emotion that goes into that. Not to lighten the situation, but I think people are ... we're a little more grateful knowing that he's in stable condition now.
"I'll say something about KB, though ... just such an energetic, such a positive person. And that year in '22 we spent together, he was someone – as I was a new person [after four seasons with Buffalo] – who welcomed me with open arms, because he's just so positive, wanting to know everybody, playing games, joking all the time. And even my time here with him, he's still got that upbeat positivity, even while being on IR [injured reserve]. And I can't wait to see a smile on his face again."
According to the NYPD, Boyd, 29, was shot around 2 a.m. Sunday morning on West 38th St. near Seventh Ave. in Midtown Manhattan as he was leaving a restaurant. No arrests have been made.
Boyd, a Texas native, who stayed in the state for college and played for the Longhorns, was drafted by the Vikings in the seventh round (No. 217 overall) in 2019. He spent time with Arizona and Houston in 2023, and was with the Texans during the 2024 season, playing mostly on special teams. He signed with the Jets in free agency this past March but sustained a shoulder injury in practice early in August and was placed on injured reserve.
"It's tough news to hear," TE Jeremy Ruckert said. "You know, one of our guys, and you know we're all thinking of him and wishing him well, and his family. So other than that, we're going to keep everything in-house about what's going on. Just thinking of him and his family."
He added: "So it's time for us to come together ... and hopefully everything will be alright."
