Q: With Charlie Batch being injured and the quarterback "quandary" we have, can Batch be placed on the PUP list and then revisited after the 6 weeks?

Rick Bittner, Coral Springs, Fla.

BOUCHETTE: No, they cannot place him on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Once a player practices, he's no longer eligible for the PUP, starting on the first day of training camp. Their options with Batch are several: They can keep him and cut Byron Leftwich, they can put him on injured reserve and end his season, they can release him and come to an injury settlement, they can keep four quarterbacks. They won't put him on IR -- there's really no reason to since he's on the final year of his contract anyway and thus he would become a free agent in March. I think they will come to an injury settlement with him and declare that he will be healthy to play in 2-4 weeks. That way, Batch has time to heal and get paid doing so and the Steelers will be protected during that period by having Leftwich. Then, their next decision is whether to re-sign Batch when he's healthy or stick with Leftwich.