Leftwich May Want to Stick Around

All season it has been assumed that Byron Leftwich was only making a brief stopover in Pittsburgh. He's using this year as a brief siesta before hitting the free agent market again this offseason, where he'll try to find a team that gives him a shot at starting.

Leftwich's strong showing as the Steelers backup has definitely helped his case for getting a job somewhere. He beat the Redskins with a strong second half after a Ben Roethlisberger injury and looked good in relief of Roethlisberger against Cleveland.

But with a chance to win his first Super Bowl ring as a backup, Leftwich has said this week that he's not averse to sticking around and trying to win a couple more as a Steeler.

"Never count the Pittsburgh Steelers out of my equation because this year meant so much to me," said Leftwich. "Everybody's always saying, 'Well, you'll go here or you'll go there.' What if I'm in black and gold next year in the same situation? It's a situation that, ultimately, as much fun as I had, I know I could be happy in it. I know I can deal with it, but can I ultimately be happy not playing on a week-in and week-out basis?"

It's a smart approach by Leftwich. If a team is willing to give him a starting job, he's still available to leave, but there's no reason to close the door on a good backup job, especially when the Steelers need to start planning for next year.

If Leftwich does leave, the Steelers are still covered by bringing back veteran backup Charlie Batch. It was Batch's preseason injury that opened up the door for Leftwich to come in, but Batch, a virtual coach on the sideline, seems content to serve as Roethlisberger's backup and he's played well when he's gotten a chance.

But if given the choice between Leftwich and Batch, it's hard not to go with Leftwich--he's one of the few backups who can step in and potentially lead a team to a Super Bowl, and he's still in the prime of his career (he's only 29), while Batch is 35.

With Dennis Dixon filling the role of a developmental No. 3 quarterback, there's only room for one veteran backup QB next year, but that's a good problem for Pittsburgh to have to deal with during the offseason.