CORTLAND — There are so many forces working against Mark Sanchez in his bid to save his career as an NFL starting quarterback that he has become a sympathetic figure.
There might not be a Jets fan on the planet — other than his family and closest friends — who wants Sanchez, the author of 52 turnovers in the last two seasons and the unfortunate star of the "buttfumble'' last year, to start.
You can make a good argument Jets management and coaches do not want Sanchez to be the starter based on the fact they drafted Geno Smith in the second round in April and see him as a much more dynamic force behind center.
If Smith, who in yesterday's training camp practice at SUNY Cortland looked light years ahead of where he was in spring minicamp, is unable to unseat Sanchez by Week 1, the Jets will be faced with an unhappy fan base (imagine that) who will be poised to pounce on Sanchez the moment he throws his first regular-season pick.
On Monday when Sanchez threw his first interception of camp in an 11-on-11 drill, the crowd reaction was a mix of exasperated boos and mock laughter. Imagine the MetLife Stadium reaction if (when?) Tampa Bay's Darrelle Revis takes a wobbler from his former teammate the other way in the season opener.
"He definitely has a lot of things working against him,'' Jets receiver Braylon Edwards told The Post yesterday. "But Mark is a good person, and I believe good things come to hard-working, good people. I think his time will come … it has to come. For his sake … for our sake.''
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Whether that time really does come for Sanchez will depend a lot on how he and Smith perform in the next month. The first true pressure point of the competition will come in Saturday's "green and white'' scrimmage.
If you were a first-time visitor to Jets training camp yesterday, you had no idea that Sanchez quarterbacked the team to consecutive AFC Championship games and if you watched Sanchez and Smith throw the ball, it would not even occur to you that Sanchez has a shot to win the job.
The first impression of Smith is the fluid way the ball comes out of his right hand and cuts through the air in a tight spiral almost every time while most of Sanchez's passes are somewhat wobbly and too often off-target.
Tight spirals and velocity do not win football games, of course, but Smith looked very good yesterday.
Sanchez, who was 3 of 10 with a touchdown and an interception in 11 on 11s while Smith was 5 of 6 with two sacks, knows what he's up against, but he is putting on an upbeat front.
"You just put it out of your head,'' Sanchez said of the forces against him. "There's always going to be adversity and things working against you. You fight through them, keep playing and control what you can. You can't worry about other people's opinions and things like that.
Edwards conceded it is "difficult'' to avoid taking sides and silently is rooting for his friend.
"I want Mark to succeed more than anyone,'' he said. "But at same time, I know who brought me here. Mark Sanchez didn't bring me here. The New York Jets brought me here. I want success for the New York Jets, but I hope it's with Mark. If it's not, I've still got to do my job.''
So does Smith, who appears to be carrying himself like a guy who knows he's got the upper hand on the incumbent.
"I don't evaluate Mark,'' Smith said. "My job is to be his teammate, to push him on the practice field, and to encourage him, and that's what I try and do. We all make mistakes. That's why we're out here practicing.''
When Sanchez was asked if he believes, one week into training camp, that he's "leading'' the quarterback competition, he said, "Ask the coaches. I feel good, I feel confident and I feel like I'm playing really well.''
If you think Sanchez sounded like a guy whistling past a graveyard, you are not alone.
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com
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