Former Notre Dame, current Commanders QB Sam Hartman to star in new season of 'The Bachelor'

Nov 13, 2026 at 9:57 am ET • 1 min read

Sam Hartman is swapping his helmet for a suit, and instead of footballs, the Commanders quarterback will soon be passing out roses. 

The 27-year-old has been named as the next star of "The Bachelor," as the ABC series kicks off its 30th season in March 2027. Following Washington's Week 10 victory over the New York Giants on Thursday night, Hartman was on "Good Morning America" on Friday morning for the official announcement.  

"I'm excited but also very nervous," Hartman said, via ABC News. 

He added: "I have a tough time holding conversation with one girl — 30 is going to be pretty tough."

As noted by NFL Network, the show is slated to shoot early in 2027 over the course of the offseason, so Hartman's day job doesn't appear to be impacted by him starring in the show. 

Hartman, who is currently on the Commanders practice squad, has been with Washington ever since he signed with the franchise as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in 2024. Over the course of his tenure with the organization, he's volleyed between the active roster and the practice squad. Hartman has yet to make an appearance in an NFL regular season game. 

At the collegiate level, Hartman started his career at Wake Forest before transferring to Notre Dame for his final season in 2023 before opting for the pros. At Wake Forest, he was All-ACC second team in 2021 and All-ACC third team in 2022. During the 2022 season, Hartman was awarded the Brian Piccolo Award for the "most courageous" player in the ACC following a diagnosis of Paget-Schroetter syndrome, a condition that causes blood clots in a vein near the collarbone. That required Hartman to undergo surgery, but the quarterback missed only one game. 

Hartman played 48 games at Wake Forest and is the program's all-time leading passer with 12,967 yards. Over his lone season at Notre Dame in 2023, he led the Fighting Irish to a 9-3 record while completing 63.5% of his throws for 2,689 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions.