Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman, 27, has been announced as the next star of ABC’s The Bachelor, bringing a familiar face from the DMV’s NFL team to one of television’s longest-running reality dating franchises.
Hartman was announced as the lead for the show’s 30th season on Friday, November 13, during Good Morning America. The new season is scheduled to premiere in March 2027.
Hartman joined the Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and has spent much of his NFL career on the team’s practice squad, serving as a depth quarterback behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota.
Before arriving in Washington, Hartman enjoyed a record-setting college football career. He played five seasons at Wake Forest from 2018 through 2022, setting Atlantic Coast Conference career records with 110 touchdown passes and 12,967 passing yards, before transferring to Notre Dame for the 2023 season.
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Hartman also gained national attention during his college career for his distinctive long hair and beard, along with endorsement deals involving Google, Under Armour, Beats by Dre, and Dove.
Hartman is no stranger to television, having previously appeared in the Netflix football documentary series QB1: Beyond the Lights, which followed highly regarded high school quarterbacks.
His selection would mark an unusual direction for The Bachelor, which has traditionally chosen its leading men from previous seasons of The Bachelorette. Hartman instead enters the franchise as a professional athlete with an established national following. Season 30 is scheduled to premiere in March 2027 on ABC, during the NFL offseason.
