It's hard to believe that, less than a year ago, many people viewed Jarrett Stidham as the future of the Patriots.
While the 24-year-old still could have a bright future in New England, he apparently has a lot of work to do in building trust among his teammates and coaches.
As Cam Newton continued to falter down the stretch of a forgettable 2020 season, many Patriots fans were incredulous as to why Bill Belichick neglected to start Stidham at quarterback. What's the harm in seeing what you have in a player whom you used a fourth-round draft pick on?
During his latest "Patriots Podcast," Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard offered some insight.
"What people need to keep in mind, that Cam playing and starting ... I came to learn was more about how the other players viewed Stidham, more than anything else," Bedard said. "There was not much faith in the building (in him). And you could even see that when he got into the games and the way he conducted the huddle. For whatever reason, and I don't know if it was the training camp injury or the offseason thing or what have you, or the way he just conducts himself. There's not a lot of belief (in him) in that building.
"And there was the feeling within the team that if they turned the keys over to Stidham, that it would become a complete debacle down the stretch and that wouldn't be good for anybody."
Again, there still is time for Stidham to develop into a quality NFL quarterback. But at this point, the arrow clearly is pointing downward for the Auburn product.
