Former Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman is swapping the football field for a shot at finding love.
ABC has announced Hartman as the next star of “The Bachelor,” which is set to return for its milestone 30th season in March 2027.
During an appearance on “Good Morning America” Friday, Hartman admitted he was both excited and nervous about the experience.
“I’m excited but also very nervous,” he said. “I have a tough time holding conversation with one girl. Thirty is going to be pretty tough.”
Sam Hartman has been named the next star of ABC’s “The Bachelor,” with the former NFL quarterback featured in the reality show’s first promotional photo.
Hartman, pictured following the Washington Commanders’ preseason game against the Miami Dolphins in August, told “Good Morning America” that he was “excited but also nervous” about becoming the next Bachelor.
The 27-year-old quarterback played college football at Wake Forest University, where he made history by setting an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) record with 110 career passing touchdowns.
In August 2022, Hartman was sidelined after being diagnosed with Paget-Schroetter syndrome, a rare condition that causes blood clots in the upper arm, according to the National Library of Medicine.
He later transferred to the University of Notre Dame for his final season of college eligibility, leading the Fighting Irish to a 9-3 regular-season record.
Hartman, pictured warming up ahead of a November 2023 game against the Stanford Cardinal, transferred to the University of Notre Dame for his final season of college football eligibility.
Before transferring to Notre Dame, Hartman, pictured ahead of an October 2023 game against Pittsburgh, played five seasons of college football at Wake Forest.
Although several sports analysts projected him to be a late-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, Hartman went undrafted and instead signed with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent.
The Commanders released Hartman from their roster in August, but brought him back to the practice squad the following day.
While ABC has traditionally tapped former contestants from the Bachelor Nation franchise to become its next lead, Hartman joins a growing list of celebrities and newcomers who have landed the coveted role without previously appearing on the show.
Hartman, pictured attending the Prabal Gurung fashion show in September 2025, was released by the Washington Commanders in August before rejoining the team’s practice squad the following day.
ABC has previously selected several leads who had no history with the franchise. In 2020, Matt James, a longtime friend of former “Bachelor” star Tyler Cameron, made history as the first Black lead of the series when he was cast for Season 25, despite never having appeared on the show.
Earlier this year, Taylor Frankie Paul, star of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” was announced as the lead of “The Bachelorette” Season 22.
However, ABC ultimately canceled the season amid a series of domestic violence controversies involving Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, the father of her child.
Hartman, pictured attending the US Open in September, admitted that dating 30 women at once would be “pretty tough.”
Hartman, pictured following an NFL preseason game in August, isn’t the first newcomer outside Bachelor Nation to be selected as the franchise’s next lead.
Just three days before Paul’s season was scheduled to premiere in March, a video surfaced showing her throwing a barstool at Mortensen during a 2023 domestic violence incident, with one of her children present. Paul was arrested in connection with the incident at the time.
“In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” ABC told Page Six in a statement.
The cancellation came just days after production on Season 5 of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” was reportedly paused following a separate domestic dispute between Paul and Mortensen in February.
Hopefully, ABC has done its due diligence in vetting Hartman, pictured attending the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Celebration in San Francisco in February.
In the fifth season of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” which was filmed shortly after Paul’s stint on “The Bachelorette” and premiered in September, she revealed that she had gotten engaged to contestant Doug Mason. However, the relationship ultimately ended because she admitted she still had feelings for Mortensen.
Now, all eyes are on ABC as Hartman prepares to hand out the roses. The network will be hoping its latest casting decision doesn’t lead to another controversy for the long-running franchise.
“The Bachelor” Season 30 premieres Sunday, March 21, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will be available to stream on Hulu the following day.
