The Jets are feverishly attempting to come to an agreement with Chad Pennington to restructure the quarterback's contract before March 3, which marks the start of the NFL's new year, a time when teams must get under the salary cap. But while the Jets continue to negotiate with Pennington's agent, there are rumblings within with organization about whether the Jets should keep the injury-plagued quarterback at all. Two members of the Jets' offense told The Post they believe the Jets should release Pennington. The comments reveal a definite crack in a foundation that was built with Pennington as the leader in the Jets' locker room as well as the face of the franchise. "I think we should release him; he's too injury-prone," one player said. "He's like an egg back there," another player said, referring to Pennington's fragility. "I mean, look at the ways he's gotten hurt. He hasn't even been hit that hard. The injuries have come from awkward hits and falls. I think we should just cut him." That's easier said than done, because cutting Pennington would subject the Jets to a $12 million salary-cap hit in 2006. For a team that's already some $26 million over the cap, that's a daunting prospect.