NFL

Selfish withdrawal shows it’s … All about Me-bow

Here is what we learned yesterday about the Jets with Greg McElroy as their starting quarterback: Nothing.

Here is what we learned about starter Mark Sanchez, who was benched in favor of McElroy: Maybe this Jets’ mess hasn’t been his fault after all.

And here is what we learned about backup Tim Tebow, who was inexplicably passed over as the starter when Sanchez was benched: He’s mad as hell and he’s not going to take it anymore.

So he didn’t.

Tebow, it was revealed following the Jets’ latest loss — yesterday’s lackluster 27-17 defeat to the Chargers in their home finale before a sparse and apathetic crowd at MetLife Stadium — played the job-action card and staged what turned out to be a sit-in.

According to multiple sources, Tebow was so upset when he was told last week McElroy would start in place of Sanchez that he told coaches he no longer wanted any part of the Wildcat package, essentially staging a personal boycott.

This latest fascinating turn of events in what has become a full-fledged quarterbacking fiasco that has been mismanaged by the Jets to epic proportions leaves me with conflicting emotions.

My first emotion is one of, “Good for you,’’ to Tebow for finally showing a pulse and sticking it to the Jets for the way they have screwed up his career with equal parts deception for what they promised when they traded for him and inept coaching for the way they have misused him.

But my second emotion is one of, “What a fraud,’’ for the way Tebow has stood before reporters all season and spewed cliché after cliché through a warm smile about how he just wants to get better and help the team in whatever way he can.

Tebow, who has obviously and understandably been stewing with frustration, has played that “don’t-worry-about-little-old-me’’ card all season and has become a sympathetic figure because of it.

But in the last week, as leaks reached the media first about how he is going to be traded or released after the season (which was long ago obvious) and then that he’s a lock to end up in Jacksonville (where he should have gone in the first place), it has become clear Tebow has been speaking out of both sides of his mouth.

This shows that, as genuinely nice a guy as Tebow is, he can play the same insidious political games other players do behind the scenes.

Tebow’s actions forced head coach Rex Ryan to duck the truth when questioned after yesterday’s game why Tebow did not play a snap.

“Coach’s decision,’’ Ryan kept saying through clenched teeth when peppered with questions about Tebow after the game.

Well, as it turned out it really wasn’t a “coach’s decision,’’ it was Tebow’s decision.

In the end, though, none of it mattered much, because the Jets with McElroy at quarterback looked like the same team they were with Sanchez at quarterback — which is to say offensively challenged.

McElroy, making his first career NFL start, showed little about his ability to play in the league other than the fact he can take a punch, surviving 11 sacks by the Chargers’ defense while completing 14 of 24 passes for 185 yards with an interception and a lost fumble.

The best pass play of the game for the Jets came from a receiver — Jeremy Kerley. Out of the Wildcat, Kerley tossed a 42-yard floater to Clyde Gates, who had to slow down so much to catch the underthrown ball it looked as if he was fair catching a punt.

Essentially, McElroy looked like the same guy Sanchez has been this season — a quarterback capable of making some plays but not enough to win games. In the end, all he really did was survive to play another week.

“I’d like to give him a chance and see what happens,’’ Ryan said. “I love his competitiveness. We have to protect him a hell of a lot better than we did.’’

When McElroy watches the film of this game, he should lie on his back, because that’s where he was for most of the day.

McElroy, who last week called his first chance to start “an opportunity of a lifetime,’’ said he was “as heartbroken as anybody’’ about the loss and vowed to “rip off the rearview mirror and move forward and focus on Buffalo.’’

One player who will not be focusing on Buffalo, but on his impending exit, is Tebow, who seems as likely to play a down against the Bills as does Joe Namath.