Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn Optimistic Kris Boyd Will Make a Full Recovery After NYC Shooting
New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn has stated that he has been in contact with defensive back Kris Boyd and is confident the athlete will recover well after being shot in midtown Manhattan in the early hours of Sunday.
Glenn described that Boyd, who is hospitalized, was “upbeat” during a recent discussion.
“What reassures me, is that he’s in good spirits,” Glenn said Wednesday. “His family, they’re in good spirits and he will come through this without issue.”
It remained unclear when Boyd might be released the hospital, where he has been listed as critical but stable.
“Still unsure,” the coach said. “Yet I must mention, from our conversation, his attitude was encouraging. And again, that puts my mind at ease, that he feels like that and his words reflect that optimism.”
Authorities issued video stills Monday of an individual wanted in the incident involving Boyd. A motive for the shooting is still being looked into and police mentioned it is unknown if Boyd was singled out. No one else was hurt according to reports.
The attack took place just after 2am on Sunday morning about halfway between Madison Square Garden and the iconic square. Boyd, in his late twenties, was taken to a local hospital after suffering a wound to the stomach, according to authorities. The shooter fled the scene.
Glenn shared Boyd has occupied his thinking “constantly” since learning of the incident. The coach said that Boyd and his spouse recently welcomed a child.
“My initial concern, he recently became a father,” Glenn remarked. “And I’m thinking about his wife, worrying about his newborn and I want to make sure that he’s OK. And that’s the only thing that really went through my mind.
“There is a procedure involved, that I won’t detail, but I’m happy at the fact that he’s going to come out of this thing really, really well.”
Boyd was inactive this season, after joining the team, after his season was cut short due to injury on August 18 with a shoulder issue that required surgery.
Boyd came to New York as an unrestricted free agent in March and was projected as an important component of the team’s updated special teams under Glenn and ST coordinator Chris Banjo. But Boyd was injured during a practice session on early August and was carted from the field.
Boyd has stayed involved with the squad throughout the season while healing from his surgery.
“He has stayed engaged with the team,” Glenn stated. “In fact, he is a regular at our matches. He’s fully engaged. As one of the league’s best on special teams, he has excelled at supporting his teammates.”
Boyd, from Texas, began his career with Minnesota after his selection in the later rounds by the Vikings out of the University of Texas in 2019. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals in last year and later was with the Texans after that. Boyd signed a one-year contract for $1.6 million with New York in March.