Get Ready to Say Bye-Bye Batch

Pro Football Talk may not know it yet, but there's almost no chance that Charlie Batch will be a Steeler at the end of this weekend.

PFT is reporting that the Steelers could consider keeping four quarterbacks, since Batch should be healthy by week four or five. Because they need an experienced backup for early in the season, they'd keep Byron Leftwich. Because he wouldn't miss much time, they'd keep long-time backup Batch and Dennis Dixon would make the team as the developmental quarterback.

That sounds plausible, but it's not going to happen. With Leftwitch looking good in his preseason stints, there's no compelling reason to keep Batch on the active roster. As Ed Bouchette pointed out, the Steelers could waive him with an injury settlement and run the risk that he'll still be available if Roethlisberger or Leftwich was injured later. While you may think that someone would quickly sign Batch, do remember that the Steelers actually waived him before the first game of the 2005 season, then re-signed him before week two (and released Nate Washington to sign Batch), so it is something Pittsburgh has done before.

Batch is a very good backup quarterback, btu once he knows the offense, Leftwich will likely be better. And with Batch entering the final year of his three-year contract, there's not really a big downside to letting him go. Hopefully Dennis Dixon will develop into Roethlisberger's backup, but if he's not ready, Pittsburgh could go out next offseason and likely re-sign Batch, assuming that Leftwich leaves to try to find a starting job.

It's kind of sad to think that Batch may have played his last game as a Steeler--he's been a quality backup and a very loyal hometown man who fulfilled a dream by coming back to play for the hometown team, but that collarbone injury was truly a bad break for Batch.