NFL QB named as next star on 'The Bachelor'

NFL quarterback Sam Hartman named as next star on 'The Bachelor' Updated: 11:52 AM CST Nov 13, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Kate Malongowski Sr Digital Curator NFL quarterback Sam Hartman named as next star on 'The Bachelor' Updated: 11:52 AM CST Nov 13, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Kate Malongowski Sr Digital Curator Sam Hartman, a backup NFL quarterback for the Washington Commanders, has been named the star of the next season of "The Bachelor."

The Details

The 27-year-old North Carolina native shared the news with "Good Morning America" on Friday.

"I'm excited but also very nervous," Hartman said during an interview with the program. "I have a tough time holding (a) conversation with one girl. Thirty is going to be pretty tough."

Before signing with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2024 for the team's practice squad, he played football for Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Sam Hartman #15 of the Washington Commanders looks on against the Miami Dolphins after a preseason game at Northwest Stadium on Aug. 14, 2026, in Landover, Maryland.

In 2022, he was diagnosed with a rare blood clotting condition called Paget-Schroetter syndrome, according to reports. He later received the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award, which honors the "most courageous" football player in the conference.

This will mark the reality dating show's 30th season, which is set to begin airing in March of next year.

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