The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to be without running back Le’Veon Bell, who is still sitting out until the start of the regular season. But that has given second-year running back James Conner the opportunity to get reps in to serve as a backfield option for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense.

Speaking of Roethlisberger, he was obviously thrilled by what Conner is showing so far in the preseason, especially pointing out to the 23-year -old third-round pick’s great shape, per Bryan Denardo of 247 Sports.

“I’m excited about what James can do and has been doing,” said Roethlisberger, who went 11-of-18 for 114 yards on Saturday that included a 32-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter. “It [was] good to have him out there and doing some no-huddle things with him. I told him, ‘If you get winded tonight, let me know and I’ll try to give you a breather with a play call,' and he didn’t say anything to me. So I like the shape that he’s in as well.”

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Roethlisberger made the comment on Saturday after the Steelers defeated the Tennessee Titans, 16-6, in a preseason game at home. While Conner did not have much success running the ball, racking up just 18 rushing yards on 10 carries, he showed his improved ability to make plays downfield by leading the Steelers with 52 receiving yards on six receptions.

Conner’s performance was a good sign for Ben Roethlisberger, who could be missing one of his best pass-catchers in Bell at the start of the season. Conner is not yet on the same level as Bell’s, but he’s showing that he’s on track to be more than just a backup.