Nebraska has hired Patrick Stewart, the New England Patriots’ director of pro personnel, as its new general manager, according to sources reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Wednesday.
Current Nebraska general manager Sean Padden, who helped secure strong recruiting classes in both high school and the NCAA transfer portal, will transition to a new position as assistant AD for strategic intelligence. In his new role, Padden will handle aspects like salary cap management, contract negotiations, and analytics, while Stewart will oversee the personnel department.
Under second-year head coach Matt Rhule, Nebraska finished the 2024 season with a 7-6 record, concluding with a 20-15 victory over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. They ended up 3-6 in the Big Ten conference.
Stewart’s departure from the Patriots comes as the team enters a period of transition under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. Vrabel’s hiring has led to changes in the front office, including the addition of vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden, who worked with Vrabel for five years at the Tennessee Titans (2018-2022).
The Patriots’ personnel department is still led by executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, who promoted Stewart to director of pro personnel last year. Sam Fioroni had been serving as the Patriots’ assistant director of pro personnel in 2024, and other staff members may be considered for new roles or promotions.
Stewart, a graduate of Ohio State, began his career in college football with the Buckeyes (2000-2004), Western Carolina (2005), and Temple (2006). He then entered the NFL as a scouting assistant with the Patriots in 2007, working between college and pro scouting for the next decade. Stewart later served as a national scout for the Philadelphia Eagles (2018-2019) and as the Carolina Panthers‘ director of player personnel (2020) and vice president of player personnel (2021-2022). He returned to the Patriots in 2023 as a senior personnel advisor.
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