Report: Nebraska to hire Patriots executive Pat Stewart as general manager

Nebraska is set to hire New England Patriots executive Pat Stewart as general manager, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported. He is currently the Patriots’ director of pro personnel and previously worked with the Carolina Panthers alongside Matt Rhule.

Thamel also reported Nebraska’s current GM, Sean Padden, is moving into a new role. He will be the assistant athletics director for strategic initiatives and will work closely with the salary cap and contract negotiations.

Stewart previously worked for the Patriots as a scout from 2007-17 before joining the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018. In 2020, he took over as the Panthers’ vice president of pro personnel and returned to New England in 2023. Stewart and Rhule also worked together at Western Carolina and Temple during their respective coaching careers.

Nebraska’s front office moves continue a trend seen across college football. The House v. NCAA settlement will have a motion for approval next month, and a hearing for final approval is set for April 7. If approved, the agreement will usher in the revenue-sharing era in college athletics as schools will be able to share up to $20.5 million directly with athletes.

Most Power Four schools are preparing to distribute between 75% and 85% of that figure toward football, On3’s Pete Nakos previously reported. Georgia notably released a specific breakdown of its allocation, including $13.5 million to football.

As for Nebraska’s standing, Matt Rhule previously said he was confident in the Cornhuskers’ ability to keep up in the ever-changing landscape. In addition to revenue-sharing, roster limits will also be going into place if the House settlement receives full approval, and he said figuring out how to divide the money will be the biggest piece of the puzzle.

“I think there’s going to be some different ways in which you can help guys pay for school if you [do] revenue-sharing or not,” Rhule said earlier this month. “A good portion of our guys, more than 85, will probably have some way of paying for school. Sort of like, some guys are taking some of their NIL money to pay for their classes last year.

“I think there’ll be some ways we can do that. … There’s a certain pot of money. As coaches, we have to decide how to divvy that up as best we can. There’s some guys that I’d love to help them pay for school so they can leave here debt-free as opposed to something else.”