FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Three weeks after being shot in the abdomen outside a Manhattan restaurant, New York Jets special-teams standout Kris Boyd stunned teammates by walking into the team facility Wednesday.
Boyd, who has been out all season with a shoulder injury, sat in on the special-teams meeting and even delivered the closing breakdown—a moment that drew cheers from the room. He spent most of the day catching up with players and coaches.
“Every single person who walked past him gave him a dap, a high-five, or one of those careful half-hugs,” said defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, who played with Boyd in Minnesota in 2022. “It was awesome to see him.”
Tight end Jeremy Ruckert added, “Nobody expected it at all. To see him walk in with that kind of energy and positivity was a really good surprise. It felt great to have him back around us.”
The visit came a week after Boyd posted on social media that he had been readmitted to the hospital for complications, with no public updates since. Several teammates said they had stayed in contact privately.
For a struggling 3-9 Jets team staring at a 10th consecutive losing season and a 15th straight year without the playoffs, Boyd’s presence provided a much-needed lift.
“I’ve had friends who didn’t survive gunshot wounds,” edge rusher Jermaine Johnson said. “So to see him walking—smiling, talking, just here—it’s a blessing. Guns aren’t toys. The fact he walked away from that is nothing short of a miracle.”
Johnson admitted he didn’t recognize Boyd at first because of the limp, but once he realized who it was, he pulled him in for a hug and said, “Man, I’m just glad you’re here.”
Boyd was shot on Nov. 16 after a verbal dispute over clothing escalated outside a Midtown restaurant around 2 a.m. The bullet entered his abdomen, traveled into a lung, and lodged in his pulmonary artery, according to police. He underwent multiple procedures and was in critical but stable condition for several days. On Nov. 19 he posted that he was beginning to breathe on his own.
The NYPD has identified a person of interest but no arrests have been made; the investigation remains active.
Safety Isaiah Oliver summed up Boyd’s mood: “He’s just thankful. Honestly, he’s grateful to still be here.”
