Tuesday, June 18, 2002

ProFootballWeekly.com asks personnel expert Joel Buchsbaum for his thoughts on the hottest topics in football. 

QB Batch returns home to Steelers

Former Lions QB Charlie Batch has decided to return to his hometown team. A native of Homestead, Pa., Batch signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday after also being courted by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Batch, 27, will compete with Tommy Maddox for the backup job behind starter Kordell Stewart. Jacksonville wanted Batch to serve as a veteran backup to Mark Brunell. Batch was essentially squeezed out in Detroit when the Lions selected Oregon QB Joey Harrington with the third overall pick in the April draft. Never comfortable in head coach Marty Mornhinweg’s West Coast offense, Batch lost his starting job to Mike McMahon last season and missed the last five games with a shoulder injury. A second-round pick in the 1998 draft, Batch started 46 of 48 games in four seasons with the Lions, completing 56 percent of his passes for 9,016 yards, 49 touchdowns and 40 interceptions.

Buchsbaum: Charlie Batch signed with the Steelers basically because Pittsburgh is right near his hometown, he wanted to go home, and no one was offering him much more than the minimum. In Pittsburgh, he has a very limited chance to start unless Kordell Stewart falls on his face. However, it will be very interesting to see what happens if Stewart, who has had an up-and-down career, starts out the year poorly. Pittsburgh fans are a little bit down on Stewart after the way he played in the AFC championship game against the Patriots, and his record in playoff games has not been the best. If he goes downhill, there may be a call for Batch. If not, Charlie hopes he gets enough action to show people he could be a starting quarterback in the NFL and hopefully gets a job with a team that will give him a chance to start the following year.

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2001 - 2002 Season