Sports

Former Fordham star Skelton leads Cardinals QB race

A starting quarterback job just may be in the Cards for John Skelton.

Skelton, a fifth-round pick by Arizona in the 2010 draft out of Fordham, is currently competing with Kevin Kolb for the team’s starting quarterback job.

Numerous reports surfaced this week saying the organization views Skelton as the more impressive quarterback and favorite to win the job.

“I don’t buy into what the media says. It really doesn’t have any bearing on my confidence,” Skelton told The Post by phone. “Over my past few games I’ve been playing good, but not great. There is room for improvement, but I see the work I have been putting in day-by-day is paying off.”

Skelton started the Cardinals’ second preseason game, a 27-17 loss to the Chiefs, and it was Kolb who came off the bench. Skelton has outplayed Kolb in the preseason and led the Cardinals to a 6-2 record in the eight games he played last season.

For the first time in his NFL career, Skelton is in an open competition in training camp for the starting quarterback job. In 2010, his rookie season, Skelton took over the starting job in Week 14.

“It would be great to be named the starting quarterback, but after the initial joy of winning the starting job, it would be back to work,” Skelton said..

Should he be named the starter, Skelton said he wants to change Arizona’s tendency to put itself in a hole early in the season. The Cardinals were 1-6 last season before Skelton took the reins.

“A lot of our problems come from starting off slow,” Skelton said. “If I know I am being named the starting quarterback, I will be able to come in right away and try and get us off to a fast start. That’s my biggest goal, to get off to a fast, strong start.”

Skelton’s rise also signifies how far Kolb has fallen. The Cardinals traded a second-round draft pick and former Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for Kolb in 2011. Kolb had started just seven games before coming to the Cardinals.

Despite the starting job being on the line, Skelton downplayed the idea any animosity exists between himself and Kolb.

“We get along great,” Skelton said. “We give each other a competitive boost in practice. I think it’s hard for people to fathom two guys who are in a football competition to be friends, but there have never been any issues between us.”

Skelton and Kolb both have a nice array of weapons to throw to in Arizona, including perennial Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals also bolstered their offense by selecting Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd in the first round of April’s NFL Draft.

“We have a lot of talent on this team, a lot of guys who can make plays and everything is coming together,” Skelton said. “If we’re able to put everything together — offense, defense and special teams — sky’s the limit for this team.”

One of the potential weapons the Cardinals have is Skelton’s younger brother, Stephen, who also played his college ball at Fordham. The tight end spent the 2011 season on Arizona’s practice squad and has caught three passes for 47 yards in the preseason.

“It’s awesome for Fordham,” Skelton said. “To have myself in the NFL, Isa [Abdul-Quddus] down in New Orleans, my brother here with the Cardinals as well, it’s a great recruiting tool for the school.”

asulla-heffinger@nypost.com