FLORHAM PARK -- It may not be on Austin Seferian-Jenkins' mind, but that doesn't mean he hasn't thought about it. He'll be a free agent come March. If he continues playing as he has, he'll be one of the more coveted prospects on the open market.
Of course, that's assuming he gets there. If the Jets' big-bodied tight end has his way, he won't be going anywhere.
"I would love to be here long term," Seferian-Jenkins told NJ Advance Media. "I love this place. I consider this home for me."
Loyalty in sports is different these days. The NFL is a cut-throat business. Upper management won't hesitate to let a player go the minute he shows any sign of a decline. So players chase as much money as they can, whenever they can.
But Seferian-Jenkins' relationship with the Jets is different. They took a chance on him when few others would. They gave him the means to turn his life into the one he's living now.
If it wasn't for this franchise, he says, there's no telling where he'd be.
Seferian-Jenkins, 25, was a second-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2014. He flashed as a rookie, but when offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter arrived a year later, things took a turn for the worse. The two never meshed. Koetter's coaching hurt Seferian-Jenkins more than it helped. He was, in his own words, "miserable." He turned to alcohol off the field to ease his frustrations on.
And that's when the real trouble started. Last September, Seferian-Jenkins was arrested on his second suspicion of DUI. His first came in college. The Buccaneers waived him shortly after that.
Seferian-Jenkins was no longer a heralded prospect with limitless potential, but a troubled, underperforming, oft-injured bust. It wasn't clear how many teams, if any, would be interested in him. The Jets, though, were.
But when they claimed him, they did so with a warning: If he didn't turn his life around, he'd be out of work again. Seferian-Jenkins listened. After the 2016 season ended, he gave up drinking entirely in a wholesale lifestyle change. He's since lost 33 pounds.
"I owe this team so much," Seferian-Jenkins said. "They gave me an opportunity when I was down and out. I was having a hard time, and they worked with me. They helped me get right."
This season, Seferian-Jenkins has 26 catches for 173 yards and three touchdowns in five games. He's scored in each of his last three. His catch total is a new career high. Assuming he stays healthy, he'll likely set new personal bests in virtually every statistical category.
Seferian-Jenkins has gone from someone nearly out of the league, to an up-and-coming star. His head coach can hardly believe the player he has now is the same guy who arrived at One Jets Drive a year ago.
"He worked on himself all offseason, and that's tough to do - especially when you have things go bad for you," Todd Bowles said. "He's the kind of guy you are rooting for."
The Jets haven't approached Seferian-Jenkins about a new deal yet -- which isn't a surprise. It's far too early in the season. When that time comes, Seferian-Jenkins said he'll look for a deal that reflects not only the player he is now, but the one he has the potential to be.
But money won't be the only deciding factor.
Seferian-Jenkins has grown to love everything about this organization. Talk to him, and you know that's sincere. He's even infatuated with the city. He rents right now in Hoboken, but said he'll soon buy. Even if he ends up somewhere else, Jersey will be his offseason home.
There's a special place in Seferian-Jenkins' heart for the Jets after what they've done for him.
At the negotiating table, he won't forget that.
"I don't want to go anywhere else," he said.
Connor Hughes may be reached at chughes@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connor_J_Hughes. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.