Jets need to win this season, or there could be major changes

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Jets opened their season Monday night against San Francisco believing that they have the players to contend for a Super Bowl. They’re built to win right now, and their sense of urgency has never been greater in the Robert Saleh Era.

For many, including the Jets coach, this could be their last dance with the Jets.

Aaron Rodgers is the NFL’s oldest player. He turns 41 in December and is coming back from a torn Achilles tendon. Left tackle Tyron Smith, 33, is the third oldest tackle. The fourthvoldest is Jets right tackle Morgan Moses, 33. There are starters on expiring contracts or whose salary is not guaranteed for next season.

If the Jets don’t win this year, things will look very different next season — and they know it.

“People get older. Teams change. Players change,” linebacker C.J. Mosley told Newsday. “Everybody understands how that works. We got to do our best not to focus on that. We do have a 40-year-old quarterback, we do have a future Hall of Famer, let’s enjoy him while we have him.

“Let’s take advantage of our moment now.”

The Jets have core young players who will make them exciting and competitive beyond this season, but not necessarily Super Bowl contenders. Keeping them in a Jets’ uniform long term will make it next to impossible for this group to stay together.

Michael Carter II signed an extension last week that will make him the highest-paid slot corner. Extending cornerback Sauce Gardner and receiver Garrett Wilson will be priorities in the offseason. They’re both expected to get more than $25 million annually. Running back Breece Hall and linebacker Jermaine Johnson are next.

That could mean cornerback D.J. Reed and tight end Tyler Conklin are playing out their last seasons as Jets. Both have meant so much to the Jets, but they have more prominent players to pay.

“When you play in this league you realize you can’t pay everybody,” Reed told Newsday. “This definitely feels like one of those years where a lot of guys are going to be free agents, so we definitely feel like we got to take advantage of this year.

“It’s a sense of urgency just for the organization and knowing what this organization has been through and what we have been through. We want to win for the fans, most importantly for ourselves and for our families. We definitely, I guess you would say have a chip on our shoulder — we want to be great and we’re going to showcase that.”

It’s not just the players.

This is general manager Joe Douglas; sixth year and Saleh’s fourth year. They need to win to save their jobs — more so for Saleh than Douglas, who has assembled a deep and talented roster. Douglas is in the last year of his contract so changes could be coming across the board depending on how this season plays out.

“You just never know how that team’s going to look next year,” Conklin told Newsday. “Who’s going to play? Who’s going to retire?

If the Jets don’t win and move on from the coaching staff, Rodgers’ future becomes even more iffy.

His $23.5 million salary is not guaranteed for next season. If his buddy and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett doesn’t return, Rodgers may not want to, either — if he decides to play another season. A new general manager and coaching staff would likely want to pick their own quarterback, too.

Some of the other Jets who are on expiring contracts or whose salaries are not guaranteed for next season are Quincy Williams, Smith, Moses, Mike Williams, Allen Lazard, Solomon Thomas, Javon Kinlaw and Haason Reddick. The Jets expect Reddick to have an impact this season if and when he ends his holdout.

Saleh thinks it’s “awesome” that the players may have a greater sense of urgency. He also believes in the process and focusing on what made them the players they are.

“Every year is an opportunity to have the stars align and make a run and all that good stuff,” Saleh said. “If you feel like this is your last opportunity and you play like this is your last opportunity sometimes you can throw yourselves out of whack.”

Mosley, 32, has reworked his contract a couple of times to stay with the Jets and help them sign other players. He’s now signed through next season. Mosley knows he’s on the back-nine of his career and time is running out to win a Super Bowl.

“You get older, you understand the league: Not For Long,” Mosley said. “I'm not thinking too far ahead but just understanding how this game goes. I'm on a team, I'm in an organization that respects me and I respect them a lot. We're trying to do something great here. So my focus is obviously this season and trying to bring something great back to the house.”

49ers' McCaffrey out

The Jets didn't have to face San Francisco All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, who was a surprise scratch because of a sore calf and Achilles tendon that has hampered him all summer. He got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field last week. 

Extra points

The Jets signed offensive lineman Jake Hanson and linebacker Sam Eguavoen to the active roster and placed linebacker Zaire Barnes on injured reserve. They also elevated practice team defensive lineman Jalyn Holmes and tight end Anthony Firkser for the game . . . The Jets' Week 1 inactives were Max Mitchell, Carter Warren, Izzy Abanikanda, Brendan Bates, Eric Watts, Leonard Taylor, Jarrick Bernard-Converse.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.