New York Jets News & Rumors

Jets CB Kris Boyd In Critical Condition Following Shooting

9:24pm: Ernest Quander, one of Boyd’s closest friends, provided an encouraging update on Boyd’s status.

“He’s all good right now. He’s in good condition. He’s doing real good,” Quander told Alex Oliveira of the New York Post. “He’s a soldier, through tough times. He’s fine. He’s fine.”

11:24am: A quick update from an NYPD spokesman — provided by ESPN’s Rich Cimini — informs us that Boyd is in “critical but stable condition” at this moment. The spokesman also provided additional details on the gunshot wound sustained by Boyd “to the abdomen.” There have still be no arrests as the investigation remains ongoing.

11:10am: Early Sunday morning brought a troubling report out of Midtown in New York concerning the life and safety of Jets cornerback Kris Boyd, who is reportedly in critical condition and “clinging to life” following a shooting, per Joe Marino, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, and Kirsten Fleming of the New York Post.

The shooting reportedly took place on West 38th Street near Seventh Avenue around 2:00am this morning. Police were not the ones to identify the victim of the shooting as Boyd to reporters, but the New York Post cites other sources for confirmation of identity. To this point, no shooters have been arrested, and the event is under investigation. Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS relayed the following message from a Jets spokesperson:

We are aware of the situation involving Kris Boyd and will have no further comment at this time.

Two luxury vehicles, a BMW X6 SUV and Mercedes-Benz Maybach, reportedly fled the scene. The BMW was allegedly carrying the shooter, according to the Post’s sources, though witnesses were said to be uncooperative. It is unclear if Boyd was the intended target.

Boyd first came to the NFL as a seventh-round pick out of Texas in 2019. He played out his rookie contract in Minnesota, earning six starts across four years with the Vikings. In 2023, he was signed then cut by the Cardinals before landing on the Texans’ practice squad. He found his way to the team’s 53-man roster before the end of the season and played every game for Houston last year as a core special teamer.

This past March, Boyd signed a one-year deal with the Jets but was placed on injured reserve before the start of the regular season without a designation to return. We here at PFR send our best hopes and wishes to Boyd and his family as he remains in critical condition at Bellevue Hospital.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Jets Considering QB Change?

Jets quarterback Justin Fields appeared headed for the bench when he was pulled at halftime of New York’s loss to the Panthers in Week 7.

Veteran backup Tyrod Taylor finished the game and was expected to start the following week, but those plans were interrupted by a knee injury. Fields started in Week 8 instead and put up one of his best performances of the year. He threw for 244 passing yards anHis 244 passing yards were his second-highest total of the season and the Jets’ 39 points were a season-high. Crucially, Fields did not throw an interception, fumble the football, or take a single sack.

In the two games since, Fields has completed just 21 of his 37 passing attempts (56.7%) for 170 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also took five sacks and fumbled once while adding 95 rushing yards on 18 carries. The Jets scored 27 points despite an especially rough game in Week 10, but they could only manage 14 points against the Patriots on Thursday.

Those struggles have led head coach Aaron Glenn to reconsider his starting quarterback selection. When asked about a potential change under center on Friday, he said that he was “evaluating everything.” Glenn also acknowledged that Fields’ recent performance was not up to NFL standards; the fifth-year quarterback essentially admitted the same, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

“Obviously, we have to do a better job in the passing game and that has a lot to do with Justin getting the ball to the right guys,” Glenn said.

Taylor is healthy now, so he would be the Jets’ starter if Fields is benched. Glenn described the decision as “really a short-term deal,” indicating that he is less concerned about the team’s long-term quarterback plans than with their success for the rest of the season.

“Whatever that the evaluation process come out to, just know that the reason why I make the decision that I make, it gives us the best chance to win,” Glenn added.

Jets Place WR Garrett Wilson On IR

NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Aaron Glenn said on Friday (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) he thinks Wilson will be able to return late in the season. A final call on that front has yet to be made, and it will no doubt be influenced by the team’s place in the standings come December. The progress of Wilson’s recovery will be key in determining whether or not he suits up again in 2025.

NOVEMBER 13: The Jets are placing star wide receiver Garrett Wilson on injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Wilson was diagnosed with a knee sprain after exiting Sunday’s victory over the Browns with a projected return timeline of three to four weeks. The Jets have elected to free up a roster spot by placing him on injured reserve, which will sideline him for the team’s next four games.

That will deprive Justin Fields of his best wideout for another handful of games. Unsurprisingly, the fifth-year quarterback has been significantly better when Wilson has been on the field. The Jets have gotten precious little out of their other pass-catchers this year; rookie tight end Mason Taylor leads the pack at 27.3 receiving yards per game, and none of his healthy teammate are over 25.0 YPG.

Wilson already missed a few weeks with an injury to the same knee, which has multiple implications.

First, it shows that the Jets cannot necessarily rely on one of their other receivers to step up. They had the opportunity during Wilson’s first absence and could not deliver.

Second, it may encourage the team to take a more cautious approach with Wilson’s return. He could come back in Week 14 at the earliest with four games remaining in the season. The Jets are already all-but-mathematically eliminated from the playoffs right now, and by the time Wilson is eligible to play, they will likely be mathematically eliminated, too. They may want to keep Wilson on the shelf for the rest of the season to ensure he does not suffer another, more severe injury that could impact 2026.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/13/25

Here’s are Thursday’s practice squad changes from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

  • Placed on practice squad/injured list: TE Layne Pryor

New York Giants

  • Signed: LB Trace Ford

Philadelphia Eagles

 

Quinnen Williams’ Criticism Of Jets’ QB Decision Made Impact; Latest On Cowboys’ DT Plans

The Jets decided against selling off auxiliary cogs at the trade deadline, opting instead to gut the core of their team by trading Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams in barely an hour. While the team collected three first-rounders and more from the Colts and Cowboys in those swaps, the current regime will be tasked with high-profile efforts to replace two All-Pros.

Williams fetched a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first and former Cowboys first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the blockbuster deal. The Jets had discussed Williams with the Cowboys as part of the Micah Parsons trade, but no deal commenced then. Dallas circling back required the team to agree to a condition that could prove valuable for New York. The Jets will receive the higher of the Cowboys’ two first-round picks in the 2027 draft, one believed to be teeming with top-end talent.

[RELATED: Bills Pursued Williams Before Deadline]

Competing with the Jaguars to land Williams, the Cowboys entered into serious trade talks with the Jets on Monday, ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes. The Jets were not a lock to deal Williams to the Jags had the Cowboys not upped the ante, as Gang Green needed to be “blown away” to give in on Williams’ trade push. The Cowboys giving the Jets the sweetener of having access to the higher of Dallas’ 2027 first-rounders finalized the trade, Cimini adds.

Months before Williams was dealt, he had made it known on multiple occasions he would like to be moved. The seventh-year veteran’s tweet about another rebuilding year being likely — a social media salvo launched after the team’s plans to release Aaron Rodgers became known — did not go over well with some in the organization, Cimini adds.

Williams later admitted a mistake there, but the three-time Pro Bowler made no secret about his frustration with the Jets’ losing ways. The Jets have not made the playoffs since 2010 — far and away the NFL’s longest-running drought — and Williams went 0-for-6 in .500 seasons as a Jet, with the team topping out at seven wins during his tenure. The Jets have won two straight, though they started 0-7 as Justin Fields struggled. The picks obtained in the Gardner and Williams deals figure to be aimed at acquiring a long-term quarterback answer.

The Jets had also used Williams more as a three-technique tackle in Aaron Glenn‘s scheme, after he had played more nose previously. While Williams’ snap percentage in the A-gap did not decline noticeably under Glenn, Cimini said the subtle position shift contributed to his unhappiness. Williams, 27, now joins Kenny Clark, Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas in a suddenly crowded Cowboys D-tackle corps.

Adding Williams does create a complication for a Cowboys team now carrying three $20MM DT salaries. The team plans on using all three when it uses five on-ball defenders, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Though, only two will play when the team is using four down linemen.

The Cowboys are planning to be creative to get all three on the field at once, per Graziano, though it will be interesting to see the snap percentages when Williams, Clark and Odighizuwa share the field. The Cowboys believe Williams’ presence will also help a struggling sect of edge rushers draw more favorable matchups.

This NFL period has involved far more sub-package sets than base defenses, and teams do not make a habit of including DTs as edge rushers when in nickel. That adds more scrutiny to Dallas’ decision to trade two premium picks for Williams after already paying Odighizuwa (four years, $80MM) in March and then taking on Clark’s three-year, $64MM Packers extension in the Parsons trade.

Odighizuwa’s 2026 money is fully guaranteed, while Clark’s through-2027 contract does not have any guarantees beyond this season. Beyond Kirk Cousins, the Chiefs have the NFL’s most expensive backup (tackle Jaylon Moore, who is at $15MM per year). The Cowboys’ base 4-3 alignment figures to vault either Clark or Odighizuwa past Moore.

It would be odd for the Cowboys to bail on Clark after prioritizing him in the Parsons trade, but Dallas carrying three $20MM-per-year DTs — with Williams having previously pushed the Jets for a contract rework (and not yet receiving it) — to go with a $60MM-AAV quarterback (Dak Prescott) and $34MM-per-year wide receiver (CeeDee Lamb) will be a challenge. A Williams extension would reduce his 2026 cap number, slated to check in at $21.75MM.

The team may need to find another rookie-contract edge rusher, as the Parsons void remains at that position. Keeping its two 2026 first-rounders will help on that end, but for the time being, how Matt Eberflus deploys his three high-priced DTs during this season’s second half will be very interesting and perhaps prove telling about the team’s long-term plans.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/25

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers 

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Released: LS Peter Bowden

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

The Panthers waived White from their practice squad on Nov. 8, but the team quickly brought the veteran signal-caller back. White will continue to provide experienced depth behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. He served as the Panthers’ emergency third QB in their Week 9 win over the Packers.

Jets WR Garrett Wilson To Miss 3-4 Weeks With Knee Sprain

Jets receiver Garrett Wilson returned from a two-game absence on Sunday only go suffer an injury to the same knee that sidelined him for the team’s previous two games.

Wilson is dealing with a knee sprain that will keep him out for another three to four weeks, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. He will not require surgery and will instead spend the time rehabbing in the hopes of a strong return for the last few weeks of the season. The Jets air attack that has run through Wilson this year, so the 25-year-old’s absence will be a major, if not fatal, blow to their already-struggling offense.

Despite missing two-and-a-half games, Wilson is the Jets’ leading receiver by a wide margin. He has commanded a 25% target share and produced 22.9% of the team’s receptions (59) and 25.9% of their receiving yards (395). The rest of the receiving room has combined for just 39 catches and 418 yards.

The Jets insisted that wide receiver Adonai Mitchell be part of the Sauce Gardner trade, and the former Colts wideout could quickly see a huge role in his new home after Wilson’s latest injury. He was inactive on Sunday, but the Jets will try to integrate him into the offense this week.

Rookie tight end Mason Taylor, the Jets’ second leading receiver with 30 receptions and 246 yards, will likely see an uptick in targets, too. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand will likely lean on a rushing attack that ranks fourth in the NFL with 5.0 yards per carry and 1,276 rushing yards on the season.

The Jets recorded their first two wins of the season in the last two weeks, but their 0-7 start will make it nearly impossible for them to make the playoffs. Wilson could return in Week 14 at the earliest, based on this initial timeline, but the Jets may consider shutting him down for the season. Even if they win their next three games without Wilson – which come against the Patriots, Ravens, and Falcons – they may still want to take a cautious approach with their star wideout. They signed him to a $130MM extension in July and made him untouchable at the trade deadline despite moving star players at other premium positions. He has hurt the same knee twice, raising the chance for re-injury before the end of the season, and a significant injury could have an impact on the 2026 season.

Bills Were “High Bidder” For Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle, Also Pursued DT Quinnen Williams

After Tuesday’s trade deadline passed, Bills GM Brandon Beane lamented the fact that he was unable to swing a deal to improve his roster. He also noted that his club’s salary cap situation – Buffalo has under $3MM of cap space – prevented him from “fishing in the deep end of the pond.”

But subsequent reports suggest Beane did plenty of deep sea (or pond) fishing. The problem is that several of his targets are/were on teams in the same division, making it more difficult to consummate a trade.

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Bills were the “high bidder” for Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle. The team was known to be interested in a receiver upgrade, and Waddle certainly would have fit the bill(s). 

Champ Kelly, the Dolphins’ interim GM, was said to be more amenable than Chris Grier, his predecessor, to a Waddle deal. Kelly nonetheless set a high asking price on Waddle, which was reported to be a first-round pick “and then some.”

According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Dolphins were seeking a third-rounder in addition to a first–round selection in a Waddle trade. Pelissero reports Beane was willing to meet that price, but not in the way Miami wanted (video link). Beane was prepared to part with a 2026 third-rounder and a 2027 first, but Kelly wanted the first-rounder to be in 2026. Plus, Pelissero’s NFL Network colleague Mike Garafolo hears Kelly would have required even more than that if he were to agree to send Waddle to the division-rival Bills. Waddle’s prorated 2025 base salary of $1.17MM would have been feasible for Buffalo to absorb, but the cost of the trade itself clearly was not. In the end, Waddle stayed put.

More difficult from at least a financial standpoint for the Bills to acquire was Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, though Pelissero reports Beane pursued him as well (and offered a first-round pick as part of his proposal). Buffalo has one of the worst run defenses in the league, and starting DT Ed Oliver suffered a torn biceps in Week 8 and will not return until the postseason (if at all). Williams would have been an ideal on-field fit, but his prorated 2025 salary of $15.65MM would have required a great deal of last-minute maneuvering on Beane’s part (as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com observes). And, it is fair to assume New York, like Miami, would have set an even higher price tag for a divisional foe (Gang Green ultimately dealt Willams to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 second-rounder, a 2027 first-rounder, and DT Mazi Smith).

Having struck out in their trade pursuits – which also included a stab at a CB upgrade and linebacker Logan Wilson – the Bills will hope their existing roster can make another playoff run. The team is 6-3 and in a close race with the surprising Patriots (8-2) for the AFC East title.

Browns Planned Adonai Mitchell Move Before Jets-Colts Trade

Even if the Jets hadn’t insisted on getting Adonai Mitchell in the Sauce Gardner deal, the second-year wideout was likely headed out of Indianapolis at the trade deadline.

Multiple teams were interested in Mitchell, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Among them were the Browns, who were planning to send a late-round pick to the Colts in exchange for the 23-year-old receiver

However, the Jets’ desire to acquire Mitchelland the Colts’ to acquire Gardner – made it impossible for the 2024 second-round pick to land in Cleveland. There, he could have stepped into a WR2 role right away. Of the Browns’ top six pass-catchers in terms of receptions, only one – Jerry Jeudy – is a receiver. After career-best numbers in 2024, his 22-257-0 line this season is even more disappointing considering his 54 targets. No other Browns wideout has more than 11 catches or 125 yards on the year.

That would have given Mitchell ample opportunity for more targets after averaging only two per game to start the season in Indianapolis. He should still see increased usage with in New York, as the Jets badly need a second receiver behind Garrett Wilson. He racked up 56 targets in the Jets’ first six games, and even after missing two games with a knee injury, he still has almost one-fourth of the team’s target share. Wilson hurt the same knee in Sunday’s win over the Browns, according to head coach Aaron Glenn, which could sideline him for a few more games. Mitchell should have a chance to step up in his absence, and even when his star teammate returns, there should still be plenty of targets to go around. The Jets’ other primary pass-catcher is rookie tight end Mason Taylor, who has 29 catches for 242 yards. Beyond that, the team’s next-most productive receivers are Tyler Johnson (10 catches for 187 yards) and Josh Reynolds (11 catches for 101 yards).

A glance at the Jets’ cap table shows even more opportunity for Mitchell in the future. The only receivers under contract beyond this year are Wilson, second-year UDFA Isaiah Williams, and fourth-round rookie Arian Smith. Williams has just three catches for 31 yards this year, while Smith has just six for 47.

It might take Mitchell a while to get acclimated to a new scheme midseason, but a full offseason in New York won’t just help him fit into the offense. It will help his new coaching staff figure out the best ways to use him. Whether the Jets stick with Justin Fields or use their new draft capital to add a coveted veteran or rookie quarterback, they will want a better support system than what was in place for the franchise’s past signal-callers. That includes a young, athletic wideout like Mitchell who has plenty of potential and may now have the chance to show it.

Latest On Sauce Gardner Trade; Jets HC Aaron Glenn’s Job Is Safe

The Jets’ deadline trade sending cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder, a 2027 first-rounder, and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell caught many by surprise. However, the foundation for those types of deals is typically laid well in advance of the agreement itself. That is exactly what happened here, as multiple reporters, including Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic (subscription required), detail that the framework of the Gardner deal – and the other swaps New York made – began to take shape in Week 4.

At that time, GM Darren Mougey and his staff began to hold weekly meetings to discuss, among other things, the trade value of each player on the roster. The idea was to avoid recency bias as the November 4 deadline approached and other clubs began making trade offers.

So, although ESPN’s Rich Cimini says the Jets never intended to move Gardner – whom they signed to a four-year, $120.4MM contract extension in July – they did establish what it would take to consider trading him if an offer came in. Per Cimini and Albert Breer of SI.com, that price was indeed two first-rounders and a quality player.

After the Colts’ Week 6 victory over the Cardinals improved their record to 5-1, Breer says Indianapolis’ assistant GM, Ed Dodds, placed calls around the league seeking CB help (Charvarius Ward suffered a concussion prior to the Arizona contest and landed on injured reserve as a result, and rookie Justin Walley sustained a season-ending ACL tear in August). Dodds’ efforts led him to Mougey, who indicated he would listen to offers on anyone on the roster, even if he was not actively looking to trade certain players.

Mougey and Colts GM Chris Ballard then discussed the possibility of a Gardner trade. While Cimini says Ballard initially balked at the asking price, Mougey himself noted Indianapolis’ offers “kept getting richer and richer.” The Colts inquired on the Giants’ Deonte Banks (per Cimini) and the Saints’ Alontae Taylor (as previously reported), but Gardner is on an entirely different tier. 

As Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon put it during a conversation with Ballard on the eve of the deadline, “[d]o you want to Band-Aid [the cornerback position] or fix it for the long-term?” (via Breer). When Ballard explained how valuable Gardner could be, particularly considering the importance of CBs in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme, Irsay-Gordon agreed the long-term fix was the right choice.

According to Cimini, the Jets were emphatic about including Mitchell in the trade. Breer adds Indianapolis grew increasingly amenable to moving the 2024 second-rounder, who had become an afterthought in the team’s offense. With the Jets high on Mitchell and the Colts prepared to move on, all of the pieces for the Gardner trade were in place.

Of course, Gardner was not the only elite defender Mougey jettisoned at the deadline. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was sent to the Cowboys in a swap that netted the Jets DT Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-rounder, and the higher of Dallas’ two 2027 first-rounders. Per Breer, Mougey knew the Cowboys would not give back everything they had gotten in the offseason Micah Parsons trade, which is one of the reasons why the GM began to consider a first-rounder in 2027 instead of 2026. The other reason is that he and his staff believe the ‘27 draft class offers more promise than the ‘26 crop. Now, thanks to the Gardner and Williams deals, the Jets have three first-round selections (including their own) in a year they consider to be rife with quality prospects.

Both Brian Costello of the New York Post and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network write that head coach Aaron Glenn was heavily involved in the trade discussions, which bolsters Rapoport’s report that Glenn will not be a one-and-done coach. Owner Woody Johnson recently called Glenn “the real deal,” and sources tell Rapoport that Glenn will not be judged by the Jets’ 2025 record and will be given a chance to guide the club through its rebuild.

Johnson has a history of being something of a meddlesome owner, but Cimini suggests that was not the case at this year’s deadline. Instead, when his first-year GM and HC told him of the plan to trade Gardner mere months after authorizing a lucrative extension for him, Johnson simply reaffirmed his faith in his top power brokers.