As expected, New York Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet is calling it quits. The team has scheduled a news conference for Friday, when Chrebet will officially announce his retirement. A series of concussions over the years forced Chrebet to end his 11-year career - all with the Jets.

Chad Pennington passed an important test yesterday on his long, improbable road back from a second operation on his throwing shoulder. Two days shy of 34 weeks after the operation, Pennington participated in team drills for the first time. At the 34-week mark after the first operation on his right shoulder in February 2005, Pennington already had played three regular-season games and was out for the year with another injury. Pennington participated in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, taking snaps in live competition for the first time since his right shoulder was repaired for the second time in eight months on Oct. 6. It is not known how Pennington fared in the workouts; reporters are not permitted to watch any portion of the voluntary passing camp at Hofstra this week. "I was pleased with the turnout for our organized team activity and excited about the group's energy level and focus both in the .classroom and on the field," coach Eric Mangini said in a statement. "Our entire team participated."

With the abundance of quarterbacks on the New York Jets roster, many have speculated as to whether there will be a home for last year's starter Chad Pennington, especially after he was forced to swallow a $6-million paycut. Amid all of that, Pennington remains optimistic. "I just feel really good about everything," said Pennington, who hadn't discussed his rehab since renegotiating his contract in early March. "I don't have any doubts or concerns or worries. It's just a matter of going through the process. "I'm not trying to get back to where I was," he continued. "I'm trying to get better than what I was. That's my goal. I'm not tying to get back to the old Chad Pennington. I'm trying to get better than what the old Chad Pennington was, and I feel like I'm on my way to doing that."

Ty Law has drawn interest from the Titans, Bucs and Chiefs, but the Chiefs appear to be in the best position to get him because of Law's relationship with Chiefs coach Herman Edwards. It was Edwards who helped land Law with the Jets last season

With the excess of quarterbacks that now reside in New York, some speculate that Brooks Bollinger's time as Jets' QB are limited. General manager Mike Tannenbaum said Bollinger is not being shown the green door. "Stockpiling quarterbacks is good business," Tannenbaum said after the draft. "We have four quarterbacks on our active roster, and this is not to say any one of them is on the block or we're going to cut anyone. We now have better depth at the position."

The Jets view left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson as the infrastructure for their offense. And after taking him with the fourth pick, they tried to construct a luxury high-rise around him: Matt Leinart. Not long after picking Ferguson and passing on Leinart, the Daily News has learned, the Jets were furiously working the phones Saturday trying to move back into the top 10 to get the USC quarterback. They held serious discussions with the Lions at No. 9, but were unwilling to meet Detroit's price. If GM Mike Tannenbaum had been able to get Leinart to go along with Ferguson, it would have been the the most productive draft day in Jets' history.