The Jets insisted Curtis Martin has not yet decided to end his season, despite a published report yesterday that the NFL’s no. 4 career rusher has told members of the team he won’t return this year.

“There has been no decision,” the Jets’ coach, Eric Mangini, said when addressing the story in the Star-Ledger of Newark.

The newspaper, quoting anonymous teammates and a team official, reported that Martin has already said he won’t be able to play this season because of a bone-on-bone condition in his right knee that has sidelined him since late last year. The report also said Martin is close to retiring.

“I don’t really know who that would be or where that information came from, so it’s hard for me to make a determination on it unless they sign their name to it,” Mangini said.

Martin was unavailable for comment, and the running back’s agent, Eugene Parker, didn’t immediately return a call to his office from the Associated Press.

The 33-year-old Martin, who has rushed for 14,101 yards, was eligible to come off the physically-unable-to-perform list October 16, but the team announced he’d remain on it until after the game at Cleveland last Sunday. On Monday, Mangini said he spoke with Martin, general manager Mike Tannenbaum, and the Jets’ medical staff last week and they chose to hold off until next week on making a decision on whether Martin would rejoin the team and practice.

Mangini said there was no change in status on that issue yesterday.

“What I’m going by is the conversations that I’ve had with Curtis, and we talk quite regularly,” he said. “He’s talked with me and Mike and talked to the doctors, so we’re now basing this decision on information and discussions that I’ve had specifically with Curtis — and that’s what I go by.”

Many of Martin’s teammates were still holding out hope that he’ll return.

“Every time I ask him, he says he’s doing well,” linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. “I hope that if and whenever he does come back, he comes back and plays well.”