Vikings fans and coaches pinned a lot of hope on a 38-year-old quarterback last year. Brad Johnson is a year older than Brett Favre. Yet last September sports commentators made endless observations on when Favre should get out of the game, while talking Johnson up as a go-to guy who would be good on any team.

The fact is players age, and the NFL season requires stamina and endurance. Johnson and Favre are in the same boat. The commentators never realized that, it seemed &8212; even when both men were tossing interceptions, getting sacked and slow to throw. They both had bright moments last year, but they need not dream of winning a Super Bowl again. They&8217;ve got their rings, their fame, their glory. Time for both to step down.

Johnson played well in 2005 because he came off the bench with fresh legs and arms to end that season after Daunte Culpepper&8217;s knee injury. Johnson started 2006 pretty well, too, but despite high hopes his age revealed itself. The winning record turned into a losing record.

So it is good that last week the Vikings and Johnson ended their relationship on a friendly note. Johnson served the team well but can&8217;t serve it anymore.

Now the Vikings are among the top five NFL teams as far as having money under the salary cap to spend. That will help them put a winning team on the field. Let&8217;s hope their scouts can judge talent better than the other teams. The offseason is a big part of the game, too.