New York Jets' Kris Boyd surprises teammates with return after being shot

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets cornerback and special teams ace Kris Boyd was back at the team's facility Wednesday, just over two weeks after being shot in the abdomen in midtown Manhattan.

ESPN reported that Boyd surprised his teammates with his return and he attended the Jets' special teams meeting, breaking it down at the end and later chatting with players and coaches.

A post on Boyd’s Instagram account late last Wednesday said “health issues” landed him back in the hospital and he asked people to bear with him for not providing more updates.

“I was released but had to return to the hospital due to my health issues,” Boyd wrote. “I love and appreciate everyone of yall dearly who has prayed/reached out even if I can’t get back to you.”

Two days later, he posted: “I need you Father God. This one bout to be Legendary!” But there hadn't been any updates since.

Boyd was shot just after 2 a.m. on Nov. 16 about halfway between Madison Square Garden and Times Square. Boyd, 29, was taken to Bellevue Hospital after being shot in the abdomen, police said. The shooter fled the scene.

New York police released surveillance images of a man sought in the shooting of Boyd, but no arrests have been made.

Three days after he was shot, Boyd said on a post on his Instagram Stories that he was “coming along, starting to breathe on my own now.” He was later released before needing to be readmitted late last Wednesday night.

“It was awesome to see him,” tight end Jeremy Ruckert told ESPN. “It’s not something that we at all thought or knew was going to happen today, so it was a good surprise to see him with such high hopes and positive energy."

Boyd hasn’t played this season, his first with the Jets. He was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list on Aug. 18 with a shoulder injury that required surgery to repair.

Boyd, a Texas native, played his first four seasons with Minnesota after being a seventh-round pick by the Vikings out of the University of Texas in 2019. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023 and then joined Houston’s practice squad later that season. Boyd signed a one-year contract worth $1.6 million with the Jets in March.

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