Mark Sanchez Confident He Will Be New York Jets Starting Quarterback, Kicks Off Jets West Passing Camp With Teammates

As his make-or-break season with the New York Jets approaches, Mark Sanchez seems as confident as ever.

With just two weeks remaining before the start of training camp opens, the much maligned Sanchez all but assured ESPN he will again emerge as the team’s starting quarterback this upcoming season.

"When it's a straight-up competition for the job, let's roll," Sanchez told ESPN. "It really doesn't bother me at all. It really doesn't affect my confidence or anything like that. We're competing for something. All right, I'm going to win. That's just how I am.”

To that end, Sanchez gathered with about 15 teammates at his Southern California home this week for the start of “Jet West,” his annual players-only passing camp. For three days, Sanchez served as the crew’s unquestioned leader, executing and calling plays in addition to running on-the-field workouts and leading film-study sessions.

"I love being here, I love playing here," Sanchez, who has a 33-29 starting record in four seasons, told ESPN of being in New York. "We've tasted success here and we've seen that formula work and we're getting back to that. There was a little adversity last year. Call it a little, call it a lot, call it whatever. It doesn't affect the way I train, the way I work."

Sanchez enters camp battling rookie Geno Smith for the starting post. The Jets tabbed Smith in the second round of the 2013 draft and seem intent on giving him every opportunity at being their main signal caller.

But Sanchez remains undaunted. "I've been that guy; nothing has changed," he said. "The results haven't been what we wanted, but I haven't changed. You don't just switch and say, 'This year, I'm going to do it.' You have to be that guy at all times.”

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