3 reasons why a Brady-Garoppolo NFC Championship Game is a possibility this year

There's a lot of hype building up to the Brady-Belichick showdown that will happen early this season. However, what about another student taking on his master?

A high-stakes Tom Brady versus Jimmy Garoppolo game is a possibility this season. The door may be shutting on both Garoppolo and Brady, but there's still a window of opportunity for the two to face off this year. Here are three reasons why.

Why Tom Brady could see his old padawan for the NFC stakes in 2021

#1 - Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo have both been in the Super Bowl

Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo have both represented the NFC in the Super Bowl the last two seasons. Interestingly, Patrick Mahomes has faced both Tom Brady and his student in back-to-back seasons.

Sitting around today I wondered which QBs had highest % of 3rd-down pass attempts end up as first downs?

In 2020:
Josh Allen 50.9% (57-112)
Patrick Mahomes 50.8% (65-128)
Jared Goff 49% (72-147)
Aaron Rodgers 48.9% (66-135)

The leader in 2019 was Jimmy Garoppolo 50% (65-130).
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) July 13, 2021

Since both the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the NFC, and both are Super Bowl-caliber outfits, the two sides could march to a meeting in the NFC Championship Game as the number one- and number two-seeded teams.

#2 - History shows Garoppolo is expected to be healthy in 2021

Jimmy Garoppolo's health has been the catalyst for every decent season in San Francisco since his move. In the only full season he's been healthy, the 49ers made a Super Bowl. Every other season plagued with injuries has gone off the rails. However, history shows that he is expected to be healthy this season.

According to Sports Injury Predictor, in 2016, Garoppolo suffered an injury during his brief stint covering for Tom Brady while he was serving his deflate-gate suspension. This is how Jacoby Brissett got his shot in the NFL. In 2017, Garoppolo remained healthy.

However, in 2019, Garoppolo was unscathed. The 49ers went to the Super Bowl that season. In 2020, Garoppolo only played six games. It's a yin-and-yang thing, but 2021 is looking up for Garoppolo.

Thus, if the trend continues, he will be able to stay healthy in 2021 in a position to deliver a solid year. Trey Lance is expected to jump in only when Garoppolo gets injured. If he stays healthy, he'll win games and keep his job all season long.

#3 - 49ers could be much improved in 2021

Of course, many will point out that the San Francisco 49ers are coming off a 6-10 season. However, this team could easily bounce back in 2021. They did it in 2019 after a 4-12 season.

George Kittle will be healthy. Brandon Aiyuk is expected to take a step forward. And there's the small case of the 49ers having Garoppolo back healthy. Put simply, 2021 could be very interesting for the 49ers.