Stephen A. Smith challenges Tom Brady, says Buccaneers QB won't play until he's 50 years old. 

Resident talking head Stephen A. Smith laid down the gauntlet to Tom Brady as he thinks the quarterback won't play until he's 50-years-old. The broadcaster aired his opinion after Brady intimated that maybe he could play at 50.

Challenging Brady isn't the smartest thing.

Saying Brady can't do something is a risky game. Brady has defied the naysayers for 22 years, and he is still proving everyone wrong in 2021. The Bucs quarterback has started the season in sizzling form. At 44-years-old, Brady is playing better than ever.

The only thing that can stop Brady is hunger. His lifestyle, nutritional dedication, and training regiment are geared to keep him in top physical condition. So far, it is working. Brady is showing no signs of aging, as other quarterbacks have done in the past.

Stephen A. Smith was so vehement and steadfast in his belief that Brady won't play at 50 years old, that it might have the opposite effect. Brady thrives on people telling him he can't do something. He applies all his dedication, mental fortitude, and world-famous competitive desire to overcome any obstacle in front of him.

An injury is always a concern for any player, although it might be more concerning for Brady. Taking hits from 300lb linemen takes its toll on anyone. Unless Brady has a sudden desire to spend all his time on the golf course, something will have to force him into retirement.

If the Bucs' offensive line crumbled and placed Brady in peril, the former Patriot might walk away to preserve himself. Physical decline won't impact Brady, and he looks after himself so well that it won't be an issue.

The most significant factor in Brady playing at 50 is if he has had enough of the NFL. The Bucs started the 2021 season in ominous fashion, and they are desperate to win another Superbowl.

Brady could feasibly win at least two more Super Bowl titles, with the way he and his team are performing. That type of success may force Brady to hang it up. There'd be no more mountains to climb.

However, there is one mountain the seven-time Superbowl winner wishes to top before he calls it a day. The 2007 Patriots are the greatest NFL team in the last 25 years. The caveat being they didn't win the Superbowl. Brady has said before that he would trade in two championships for an undefeated season.

The defeat to Eli Manning's Giants still haunts him, and it will fuel him for a bit longer. Stephen A. Smith has doused more fuel onto the fire by challenging the great quarterback. He made a mistake. Brady's made everyone eat their words for 22 years, and he could have a few more years left in him.