In Bill We Trust is a moniker Patriots have adhered to for years to show their unwavering trust in Bill Belichick. No matter what Belichick does, Patriots fans trust him because in the end, he always does what’s best for the team.

After benching cornerback Malcolm Butler in the Super Bowl, Patriots fans are now questioning whether or not Belichick actually does what is best for the team.

It’s one thing to bench Butler and deactivate him from the game day roster if he violated team rules and got into a confrontation with the coaches. It is another to dress him and let him stand on the sideline while his back-ups get torched by the Eagles.

It is hard to fathom how a Super Bowl hero three years ago is now a Super Bowl no show. The local media and fans alike have had a hard time processing the decision.

Of course the company line after the game by both Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was that Butler wasn’t a part of the game plan and that he wasn’t in any of the substitution packages. That’s a bunch of crap! How does a guy who was your starting boundary corner for the past three seasons not start in the Super Bowl? Come on. Obviously there is more to it than that.

If Butler violated team rules, bench him for a quarter and send him the ultimate message after the season by not re-signing him. Letting him rot on the bench while Eric Rowe and Johnson Bademosi get torched is unfathomable.

I can see why fans want answers and Belichick owes them that. He also owes his team an explanation for the decision he made. Don’t give me this best for the team bull crap! It is time to be forthright Bill. Do the right thing and explain yourself.

Unfortunately, Belichick won’t do that. As a result, the fan base will scapegoat him forever for not playing Butler. Could Butler have won the Patriots the game? Probably not but he would have made a difference. Maybe he doesn’t get beat like Rowe did on Alshon Jeffery’s touchdown. We will never know.

All of sudden players and fans alike are questioning the Patriot Way and that is not good moving forward. That is why Belichick needs to come clean.