Patriots running back Damien Harris is in the concussion protocol and his status for Sunday’s game against the Browns is unknown. Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press

The Patriots are playing a waiting game with both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, who are both in concussion protocol.

Running backs coach Ivan Fears says there’s a contingency plan if one or both can’t go in Sunday’s game against Cleveland, but it’s too early to make that call.

“We’re on a wait-and-see program. These protocols can take a few days to figure out what they’re going to do with them,” he said. “It’s a big question mark. Definitely a big question mark.”

The Patriots have created some room on the 53-man roster, as well as the practice squad. Currently, Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor are the only healthy backs on the roster.

“We’ll have things in place,” said Fears. “We’re definitely talking about it and ready to move, based on what they tell us. But we’ll have to wait and see, for sure.”

Stevenson had a breakout game, of course, with 61 rushing yards on 10 carries, and a spectacular 41-yard pass catch, where he showed off his speed and ability to elude tackles.

“He did a nice job. The kind of stuff we expected from him. What I saw is what he’s done in practice lately, and that’s kind of impressive,” said Fears of the rookie back. “He’s growing up. He’s figuring it out, what it’s all about to be a pro player. It hasn’t been easy for him, but he’s figuring it out. And I’ll tell you what, if he keeps coming, we’re going to like what we see.”

With Stevenson and Harris both in the protocol, Bolden, who has taken over as the third down back with James White out for the season, and Taylor figure to take on more responsibilities should the Patriots be down a back or two Sunday.

Fears described Bolden as being a life saver, and will challenge him more if the Patriots come up short. Bolden had a lot of work against the Panthers, with eight carries for 54 yards, and a 28-yard gain among his two catches.

“He’s been practicing this role for a long time. Being a core special teams guy, being a backup as a first and second down runner, and also being a backup as a third down back. You know, Brandon is an awfully talented guy,” said Fears. “So we’re very fortunate to have him in that role . . . But we’re going to have to challenge him more and more to get it done, and keep it done if we’re going to be successful.”

THE PATRIOTS DIDN’T know what they were going to get out of Dont’a Hightower this season after the veteran opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19.

So far, the 31-year-old linebacker has been a “pleasant surprise” for a Patriots defense that’s starting to come into form at the midpoint of the season.

On Tuesday, linebackers coach Jerod Mayo was asked about how Hightower has looked in his return to the field this year. Mayo says he says the same old Hightower.

“No, honestly, he’s still the physical player, the good pass rusher and the guy who was able to do a bunch of different things. It’s a pleasant surprise to see him do these things, again, after taking a year off,” Mayo said. “So he’s done great for us. He’s good in the classroom. He’s good on the field, smart player and a great leader for this team.”

What does Mayo mean by a “pleasant surprise?” The former Patriots linebacker said New England couldn’t know for sure how Hightower would look coming off a season away from football.

For the Patriots, all they could do is hope that Hightower returned to his old form.

“You just don’t know. I think the unknown sometimes it’s the scary part,” Mayo said.

So how has Hightower looked so far this season? So far, the veteran linebacker has started eight games for the Patriots and has played 69% of all snaps on defense. That’s Hightower’s lowest mark since his rookie season in 2012.

Statistically, this hasn’t been Hightower’s most impressive season. He’s tied for eighth on the team with 28 total tackles. He doesn’t have a sack yet, but does have two QB hits.

But Hightower and the Patriots don’t seem too concerned about the numbers. Hightower has played a big role in fortifying the team’s run defense, which was a glaring issue last season.

Earlier this season, Hightower described himself as a “trash man,” doing the dirty work

“I’m a trash man. I just play football,” Hightower said. “Not a big numbers guy and never have been… Just doing the hard stuff, bro. I never have been a big newspaper dude or whatever. I just want to do my job and win.”