Washington Commanders practice squad quarterback Sam Hartman has been cast as the star of ABC’s “The Bachelor” Season 30, which premieres on March 21, 2027.
ABC announced the casting of the 27-year-old NFL quarterback on November 13, bringing a prominent college football star and professional reserve player into the center of the reality dating franchise. Hartman made the announcement on Good Morning America after arriving straight from New York City following the Washington Commanders’ game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, according to TV Insider.
Jesse Palmer Helped Persuade Hartman to Accept the Role
Hartman admitted that his initial reaction to the network’s offer was far from an enthusiastic acceptance.
“Honestly, at first, I was like, ‘No way.’ I just think the connotation of it. I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ And then, I got really lucky and talked to Jesse Palmer, and he kind of gave me the insight and gave me what it is, what it’s not,” said Sam Hartman, Washington Commanders quarterback, as reported by Page Six.
Breaking news on @GMFB: #Commanders QB Sam Hartman will be The Bachelor, as revealed on @GMA. pic.twitter.com/sXmgkbiDnF
Palmer, the host of the program and a former NFL quarterback who starred on the show in 2004, helped persuade Hartman to take the role. Hartman acknowledged the daunting scale of dating thirty contestants at once during his Us Weekly interview.
“I have a tough time holding conversation with one girl. Thirty is going to be pretty tough,” Hartman told Sports Illustrated.
Hartman Set Collegiate Records for Passing Touchdowns
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 29, 1999, Hartman played five collegiate seasons at Wake Forest University before transferring to the University of Notre Dame for the 2023 season, according to NBC Sports. During his college career, he set the Atlantic Coast Conference record for career touchdown passes with 134, finishing with more than 15,000 passing yards.
During his senior year of high school, he relocated to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, to play football at Oceanside Collegiate Academy. Ranking fourth in FBS history with 134 passing touchdowns, he also stands as the first FBS quarterback to reach 14,000 career passing yards since Baker Mayfield in 2017.
In his lone year with Notre Dame, he achieved the second-best single-season passer rating in the university’s history at 159.5, leading the Fighting Irish to a 9-3 record while completing 63.5% of his passes for 2,689 yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
In 2022 at Wake Forest, he was diagnosed with Paget-Schroetter syndrome, a rare condition causing blood clots near the collarbone, as noted by the National Library of Medicine. He returned to play that same season and received the ACC’s Brian Piccolo Award as the conference’s most courageous player, according to NBC4 Washington.
After going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, Hartman signed with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent. He was released by the team during roster cuts on August 30, 2026, and was re-signed to the practice squad the following day, spending time on the squad without appearing in a regular-season game, according to Bergen Record. He has played for Washington during the preseason, including all three preseason games in 2026.
Hartman Seeks an Ambitious Partner and Values Family Advice
Discussing what he seeks in a partner, Hartman emphasized a drive for ambition rather than purely athletic prowess, describing a wish to chase someone motivated by their own goals, as reported by Bustle.
Reflecting on the relationship advice offered by his family, Hartman highlighted his parents’ professional backgrounds: his father works as a surgeon and his mother works as a nurse.
“Their big thing is just be myself and enjoy the experience and trust the instincts and trust your gut,” Hartman said on Washington Commanders, recounting advice from his surgeon father and nurse mother.
Episodes of Season 30 will stream the day after airing on ABC on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S.
“My brother is about to get engaged,” Sam Hartman said, as reported by GMA.
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