Former New York Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards told radio station WPEN-FM this week that the team “babied” quarterback Mark Sanchez, who is making his first start with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night against the Carolina Panthers.

After leading the Jets to consecutive AFC championship games in 2009 and ’10, Sanchez fell out of favor with the Jets and he signed with the Eagles in March.

Edwards, a teammate of Sanchez during the Jets’ playoff runs, said the team protected the quarterback by emphasizing a run-heavy offense.

“You have to remember Mark was 20 years old when he was drafted. He was a kid,” Edwards said. “They babied him and never really allowed him to man-up in the NFL, which is a league full of men. …

“We had a good team that allowed him to not grow up, if you will. When they took away the pieces, that’s when you saw the decline of Mark Sanchez. Flash forward, I think those circumstances of his last three years with the Jets really allowed him to take hardship, take scares, and learn from them.”

Sanchez is viewed as more mature since joining the Eagles. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said the “sky’s the limit” for Sanchez, who has many offensive options around him.