San Francisco 49ers: Jimmy Garoppolo earns praise from Tom Brady

Count Tom Brady among those who are impressed by the strong performance of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Garoppolo has guided the 49ers to a 4-0 mark in his first four starts, with his latest victory helping the Patriots clinch a first-round bye in the upcoming playoffs. The 26-year-old has completed 100 of 145 passes for 1,268 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in five games this season.

"He's done a great job. You go in there and get the opportunity to play and win games, that's what we're all here for," Brady said in his weekly interview on sports radio WEEI. "It was good to see, and good for them to beat Jacksonville (Sunday). That certainly helped us. I'm really happy for Jimmy. He's worked really hard and it shows up when he goes out there and plays really well."

Garoppolo threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday as San Francisco posted a 44-33 win over the Jaguars. He completed 21 of 30 passes with touchdowns to wide receiver Trent Taylor and tight end George Kittle.

The 49ers acquired Garoppolo from the Patriots for a second-round pick in the 2018 draft in October.

Garoppolo enjoyed a successful stint while filling in during Brady's suspension related to "Deflategate" last season. The Eastern Illinois product completed 68.3 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions.