On their day off Sunday, the Jets received some distressing news.
Cornerback Chris Boyd was shot in the abdomen after spending time at Say Less Restaurant in Midtown early Sunday morning. The mood at the venue quickly soured.
Boyd was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
This incident left a heavy impact on the Jets’ locker room come Monday.
Harrison Phillips shared that hearing about Boyd immediately brought back memories of losing a former teammate in a car crash back in 2024.
“Last summer, I lost my teammate Kyrie Jackson in Minnesota. It kind of hit me hard, almost like a mild PTSD reaction,” the defensive tackle said during a Zoom call with reporters. “KB [Boyd] and his family just welcomed a baby. You can’t help but think about that. I’ve been praying for him throughout the day, and I figured there are probably a lot of other people who would like to send their prayers as well.”
Phillips was among the few Jets players who reached out on social media after the news broke.
Jeremy Ruckert mentioned that the team was together in the building and processing the information like everyone else.
“This is really shocking news,” Ruckert said. “I’m just grateful that the situation isn’t worse, especially for his family. They just had a child. We need to come together now and pray for him and his loved ones.”
Boyd, who is 29, is in his first season with the Jets after playing briefly for Arizona and Houston. Before that, he spent four seasons with the Vikings after being selected in the seventh round of the 2019 draft.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Jets said, “We are aware of the situation regarding Kris Boyd and have no further comment at this time.”
On Monday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that defensive tackle Karen Sanders is set to sign with the Jets. Sanders, a two-time Super Bowl veteran, will step in to help coach Aaron Glenn following Quinnen Williams’ trade to the Cowboys.
