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Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has stated that he recently spoke with defensive back Kris Boyd and is confident the player will recover well after suffering a gunshot wound in central New York in the early hours of Sunday.

Glenn noted that Boyd, who is hospitalized, was “in good spirits” during their recent conversation.

“That gives me comfort, is that his mood is upbeat,” Glenn said Wednesday. “His family, they are holding up and he will come through this without issue.”

The coach did not know when Boyd might be released the medical facility, where he has been listed as in critical but steady condition.

“Don’t know just yet,” the coach said. “But I will say this, just talking to him, he felt really upbeat. And again, that puts my mind at ease, given his positive frame of mind and he expresses himself so positively.”

Authorities shared video stills earlier this week of a man sought in the attack on the player. The reason behind the incident is currently under review and police mentioned it is unknown if Boyd was the intended victim. No other injuries were reported.

The attack took place in the early morning on Sunday about halfway between MSG and Times Square. Boyd, in his late twenties, was admitted to Bellevue Hospital after being shot in the abdomen, police said. The assailant escaped.

Glenn mentioned Boyd has been on his mind “a ton” since he heard about the shooting. He further stated that Boyd and his wife are new parents to a newborn.

“What immediately crossed my mind, he just had a kid,” Glenn noted. “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’s a process to this, that I won’t detail, but It is reassuring that his outcome looks very positive.”

Boyd hasn’t played in the present campaign, his debut year with New York, after going on the season-ending injured reserve list on August 18 with a shoulder issue that needed an operation.

He joined the Jets as an unrestricted free agent in March and was expected to be an important component of the team’s updated special teams under Glenn and ST coordinator the special teams coach. But Boyd was injured during a training camp practice on 2 August and was taken away on a cart.

Boyd has stayed involved with the squad all season long while working his way back.

“He’s been a part of what we’re doing,” Glenn stated. “In fact, he is a regular at our matches. His commitment is total. Given his status as a special teams standout, he has excelled at supporting his teammates.”

Boyd, from Texas, spent his initial four years with Minnesota after being a seventh-round pick by the Vikings out of Texas University in the 2019 draft. He later played for Arizona in last year and moved to Houston’s squad subsequently. Boyd inked a single-season agreement worth $1.6m with New York in the spring.