Hempstead, N.Y. ? Herman Edwards wants to hang around the New York Jets until he can lead them to a Super Bowl championship.

But speculation has linked Edwards to the head-coaching job in Kansas City should his longtime mentor, Dick Vermeil, retire when the season ends.

Edwards reiterated Wednesday he wanted to stay with the Jets.

“I’m going to be here as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “At this point right today, I’m going to be here.”

But he also left some wiggle room. Asked whether he would be happy coaching under his existing contract once the season ended, Edwards put the spotlight on the organization. His deal runs through 2007, and it is believed Edwards wants an extension.

“At the end, if I’m not holding up my bargain or they feel they need to go another direction, they got to do that,” Edwards said. “They have to do whatever is best for the team. I’m OK with that.”

Edwards said he spoke with Jets owner Woody Johnson a few times a week and that Johnson understood the position the team was in this season. The Jets, at 2-7, are a major disappointment after losing their top two quarterbacks and many other important players to injuries.

“He’s behind this football team,” Edwards said. “He’s behind our players. He’s very positive about everything we’re trying to do. He doesn’t like the situation we’re in, either.”

Asked whether Johnson was behind him, Edwards said, “I feel he is. I don’t want to answer for him.”

Johnson was at the NFL Owners meetings and unavailable for comment. General manager Terry Bradway said in a statement, “Our policy remains to refrain from comment on rumor or speculation. Herm Edwards is under contract with the New York Jets.” Edwards said he wouldn’t address the rumors with his team. But defensive end John Abraham has heard the talk and would be upset if Edwards left.

“More than anything, Herm has helped a lot of us grow into men,” Abraham said. “I’ve been with Herm now for five years and every year I’m proud to be with him. Anywhere he goes, I’d love to go with him.”

Edwards has come under criticism from fans this season despite leading the team to the playoffs in three of the last four years, something no other Jets coach has done.

Looking toward 2006, it seems the Jets have a major rebuilding task on their hands. They need a quarterback because there are no guarantees Chad Pennington will be able to play after a second major shoulder injury. Their offensive line is in a shambles, Curtis Martin is getting older, their tight end and receiver situations are shaky at best, and their secondary needs some help.

The Kansas City job could be a perfect fit. Vermeil’s one-year contract expires when the season ends. Edwards is very close with Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson, who tried to recruit Edwards to go to UCLA, then signed him as an undrafted free agent with Philadelphia and gave him his first NFL job as an executive in the Chiefs’ player personnel department in 1990.