Super Bowl 2020: Patriots' Tom Brady sends motivational message to 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo already has two Super Bowl rings, thanks to Tom Brady. The former second-round pick spent 3.5 seasons with the New England Patriots as Brady's understudy before being traded in 2017 to the San Francisco 49ers, during a regime change that's now seeing the fruits of their labor blossom in plain view. It's now his turn to steer a franchise to the top of the NFL mountain, as starter of a dominant San Francisco 49ers team that finished with a 13-3 regular season record before going on to easily dismiss the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round and NFC Championship Game, respectively. 

Garoppolo is riding a wave of success this season, and it's easy to forget it wasn't long ago when he served as backup for Brady in New England -- the two having formed a strong personal relationship because of it. So as Super Bowl LIV approaches and the 49ers ready for the biggest test of their season in reigning league MVP Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered Kansas City Chiefs, it makes sense Garoppolo would lean on all he learned in New England to help his chances in the playoffs. 

And with the Patriots having been eliminated weeks prior in the AFC wild card, Brady is all-in on seeing Garoppolo succeed, going so far as to send him a message to help fuel the fire.

"Yeah, he shot me a text," Garoppolo said from Super Bowl Opening Night, via WEEI. "Just good luck and everything like that. Go handle business. It wasn't anything complicated. It was just, 'Go handle business. Go win.'"

That is certainly Garoppolo's plan. That said, it won't be easy. 

Although the Chiefs don't carry the same stifling defensive unit as do the 49ers, they've been known to play big when it matters most. League-leading rusher Derrick Henry ran through Brady and Co. in the wild card and then through the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens for nearly 400 rushing yards combined, before being held to only 69 yards in Kansas City. The backfield is also patrolled by All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu -- the team's leader in interceptions this season -- and he's champing at the bit to pull one of Garoppolo's passes out of the sky.

What can't be denied is what Garoppolo has proven this year, in that he can take over a game when asked to, and if he needs to and can deliver against the Chiefs -- he might find himself wearing a third ring. And while this time it won't be directly because of Brady, given all Garoppolo has learned from him, it'd be fair to throw a salute his way.