A seventh-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 NFL Draft, cornerback and special teams player Kris Boyd spent four years with the team before leaving in free agency after the 2022 NFL season.
After that, he had short stints with the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans before signing with the New York Jets earlier this year.
Sadly, Boyd was shot in the abdomen during a dispute outside a New York restaurant back on November 16. Thankfully, he has been able to recover, and on Wednesday, he provided his Jets teammates with a pleasant surprise.
Former Minnesota Vikings CB Kris Boyd surprises New York Jets teammates after nightmare incident in November
On Wednesday, ESPN's Rich Cimini shared that the former Vikings defensive back returned to the Jets' facility. Not only did he attend the special teams meeting, but he also broke it down afterward.
There is still no timetable for Boyd to return to the field this season, but having him back at the Jets' facility and participating in meetings is a great step toward getting him back in action.
Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 201 pounds, Boyd could be a big help to a Jets team that is 3-9 on the season in the basement of the AFC East, and the team traded away some of their best players while he was out of action.
Considering the scope of what happened with him and his profession, it is amazing that he is back at the Jets' facility so soon after such a devastating injury. It goes to show how much passion the former Vikings defender has for the sport.
Another former Vikings player and current New York defensive lineman, Harrison Phillips, spoke about the excitement at the facility when Boyd returned.
"I'm pretty sure every single person that walked by gave him a dap up, a high five or a semi-hug,"
Jets tight end Jeremy Ruckert shared the love the team showed for Boyd when he returned to the facility.
"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. ... It was cool, a good moment for us to get back around him and for him to be around us."
This is a huge moment for the former Minnesota defensive back, and it's great to see him back with his team.