NFL
Steelers' Batch placed on IR
By The Source
Aug 14, 2004

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Steelers placed quarterback Charlie Batch on injured reserve Friday. Batch had been bothered by soreness in his knee the past few days of training camp and had season-ending arthroscopic surgery on Friday morning.

Batch, who was signed to back up starter Tommy Maddox prior to the 2002 season, was selected in the second round of the 1998 draft by Detroit. In 2000, Batch started 15 games for Detroit and threw for 2,489 yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with a 53.6 completion percentage.

He has played in just three games for the Steelers.

To replace Batch, the Steelers signed free-agent quarterback Kurt Kittner, a third-year veteran from Illinois. Kittner, 6-2, 221 pounds, spent the past two seasons as the backup quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons. He had his most significant playing time last year, when he played in seven games and started four. Kittner completed 44-of-114 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns with six interceptions for the Falcons in 2003. He did not play any games in 2002.

Kittner was on the 2004 preseason rosters of three teams, Cincinnati, the New York Giants and New England before being signed by the Steelers.