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Commanders practice squad quarterback Sam Hartman has been tapped as the lead for the 30th season of ABC’s The Bachelor—and the sports world is eager to promote it.
Immediately after the announcement—which came via an appearance by Hartman on Good Morning America on Friday—the NFL, the Commanders, and ESPN each shared celebratory Instagram posts in collaboration with the official accounts for both ABC and the show. All parties also shared similar content on TikTok..
The NFL’s Instagram post, a slow-motion video of Hartman running the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, racked up over a million views by midday. Static photos posted by the Commanders and ESPN netted more than 400,000 collective likes in the same period.
The long-running reality TV franchise was arguably in need of some football field–sized firepower after the most recent season of its sister show, The Bachelorette, was canceled just three days before its scheduled premiere earlier this year amid domestic abuse allegations against its lead, Taylor Frankie Paul.
Hartman’s season will reportedly begin filming in January and premiere on March 21. The Commanders declined to respond to questions from FOS about whether the QB—who is currently fifth on the depth chart—would step away from his duties with the team to participate, or whether the organization will continue to promote his involvement.
ESPN and the NFL did not immediately respond to questions about their respective promotional plans. However, the league hasn’t been shy about spotlighting players’ romantic lives; in August, a source close to the NFL told FOS that viral videos of quarterbacks spending personal time with their significant others while on the field at training camp were part of a coordinated campaign to reach female fans. At the time, the NFL also said it was “scaling up its female-focused content” and would “be doing even more in the future”.
There’s a lot of synergy between The Bachelor and sports, particularly football. ABC and ESPN are both owned by Disney, and two other NFL players have served as the show’s lead: Jesse Palmer (Season 5) and Colton Underwood (Season 23). Palmer, a college football analyst who also now hosts The Bachelor, was on the Giants while filming the show; Underwood, who was a practice squad player on multiple teams, had already retired before taking on the lead role.
During his Friday Good Morning America appearance—mere hours after the Commanders’ 24–21 road win against the Giants—Hartman said he was initially hesitant to participate when approached with the opportunity, but changed his mind after consulting with Palmer. He also suggested his season will have some football flair. Asked whether female contestants would have to catch passes from him, Hartman replied, “They’re going to get tested for sure.”
The 27-year-old North Carolina native signed with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent in April 2024. He spent five of his six college football seasons with Wake Forest, which has emerged as a kind of “Bachelor Nation” hotbed: Two other former stars—Matt James (lead, season 25 of The Bachelor) and Tyler Cameron (contestant, Season 15 of The Bachelorette)—also played for the Demon Deacons.
Football team accounts for Wake Forest and Hartman’s other collegiate home, Notre Dame, touted his upcoming role, too.
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