Vince Wilfork believes one thing will determine Patriots fate in 2024 and beyond

The first game of the Patriots 2024 season is just days away, as they will match up with the Bengals for Week 1, and the excitement for football returning to New England is palpable, even if most fans aren't very optimistic about how the season will transpire.

It's a new era under Jerod Mayo, the first new head coach in Foxboro in 25 years, and there's a lot the new regime can prove this year, so starting the season with a win against a very talented AFC team would be a great way to kick things off.

Although the Patriots will unanimously be the underdog, it's clear a staff change has positively impacted the roster, especially after the alleged toxicity behind the scenes during the 2023 season. It directly affected how the team played last year and the overall morale, which might be the biggest detractor of a team than a flawed roster. It appears they've moved in the right direction this offseason to drastically improve a weakened locker room atmosphere.

The chaos and drama well documented by beat reporters over the last two seasons are hard to forget. They revolved around the decaying relationship between Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft and the lack of trust in Mac Jones, which ultimately resulted in the head coach leaving the team and the quarterback being traded to the Jaguars earlier this year.

But now that things look to be on a better path, much to the efforts of Jerod Mayo and Co., the Patriots should be in a better situation with an improved dynamic that could result in some positive development and performances on the field.

It's something that Patriots legend Vince Wilfork believes could shape the immediate future and the team's growth, something the Patriots Hall of Famer would know a thing or two about.

Vince Wilfork believes the Patriots brotherhood is what will matter most moving forward

Perhaps one of the most undervalued parts of any NFL team's success is the unity and trust in the locker room felt by every player in and on the field. It doesn't mean they have to all like each other, but if they have respect and trust in one another, success will come a lot easier than those who don't.

It was clearly lacking with the Patriots during the 2023 season, something Wilfork noticed, too. So he was pleased to hear all of the positive feedback players have shared about how things have been going since Mayo took over earlier this year, which Wilfork believes will play a big role in how the Patriots fare this season and beyond.

"Your locker room is everything. You know, if the locker room can't be on one accord, it's done. And for them to say, 'Hey, it feels like a family, it feels good,' that's a great sign. That's a great sign to start with. As long as we stay there, keep the locker room at the brotherhood, and you're playing for one another because it shows when you play for one another; it shows on Sundays. You know, it shows when you go out as a team. and you fighting for your brother that's next to you, you holding each other accountable, you know, you're responsible. It shows.

I think the last couple of years, we kind of see the division. We didn't play together as a team or like a brotherhood. And that was something that we were built on of holding each other accountable. And when we entered this field, we won. 'I'm gonna hold you accountable. You guys are gonna hold me accountable.' I think we missed that for the past couple of years.

So I think now we're getting back to that point where it starts in the locker room. It starts with us as the players, and we want to make it work from us. It doesn't matter what's going on outside of this, but as long as we play together as a team, we'll be fine."

Considering how many winning teams Wilfork was a part of during his 13 year career, it's fair to say he knows what he's talking about and what's the most important about a successful team.

It's part of what has made the Mayo hiring a lot more interesting since he, too, is a former player—not just that, but a former Patriot. He played for Belichick during his eight-year career, experiencing firsthand the benefits and the not-so-fun parts of what that entailed.

He was and still is considered a player's coach, a label he is already not too fond of, but it might play a significant role in how the team functions during his tenure. Because he has been in the players' shoes, he understands the importance of a good team dynamic, just as Wilfork emphasized.

With that knowledge, it seems almost impossible for the Patriots locker room to become a problem as long as Mayo is in charge, which would be a great part of his career considering all the challenges he will inevitably face as a new head coach.

Hopefully, because Wilfork knows Mayo well and believes he will be a great head coach, his words about the importance of a close locker room are beliefs his former teammate turned head coach already shares. The Patriots will be on a great path moving forward to build a solid foundation and a team that players want to be with for a long time.

More Patriots coverage: