PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch underwent season-ending arthroscopic knee surgery and was placed on injured reserve Friday.

Batch, in his seventh NFL season, had been bothered by soreness in the knee the past week and doctors found problems when Batch underwent an MRI on Thursday.

The Steelers signed quarterback Kurt Kittner to replace Batch on the roster.

Kittner is a third-year veteran from Illinois who's spent the past two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

With the Falcons, Kittner completed 44 of 114 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns with six interceptions last season. He started four games last year and played in seven. He did not play any games in 2002.

Kittner will be with the Steelers in Detroit for the preseason opener Saturday night.

For the 29-year-old Batch, who's in the final year of his contract, the injury likely marks the end of his Pittsburgh career. He's been with the team since 2002 and played in three games last season.

A native of nearby Homestead, Batch completed 4 of 8 passes last season for 47 yards.