For the second time ever, "The Bachelor" is going to be an active NFL player.
Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman has been named the new star for Season 30 of ABC's reality dating franchise
. The 27-year-old admitted during an appearance on "Good Morning America" it was the previous NFL player to serve as "Bachelor" who helped convince him to hand out roses to 30 women seeking a romantic relationship on national television.Jesse Palmer, who was named the host of "The Bachelor" in 2021, was a member of the New York Giants when he starred on the show. Palmer ended the season in a relationship with winner Jessica Bowlin, but they split a month after the May 2004 finale.
"He kind of gave me the insight, what it is, what it's not," Hartman
said of Palmer. "I’m excited but also very nervous."
Palmer appeared in eight NFL games during his career, though none came after his stint as "The Bachelor." Hartman has mainly been on Washington's practice squad during his three NFL seasons.
Here's a closer look at Hartman's Commanders contract, how NFL practice squads work and his NFL career to date.
Sam Hartman NFL contract details
Hartman was part of the Commander's final preseason roster cuts in August 2026 and then re-signed to the team's practice squad for the third-straight year. He is to set to make $247,500 in base salary if he remains with Washington's practice squad for the entire 2026 NFL season based on the league's collective bargaining agreement.
How do NFL practice squad contracts work?
Experience determines how much money a practice squad player can make.
Those with more than two seasons of experience can negotiate contracts with a salary range between $18,350 and $22,850 per week, according to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. That equates to a salary between $330,300 and $411,300 if a player were to remain on a team's practice squad for the entire season. Players with fewer than two seasons will make $13,750 per week in 2026, or $247,500 for the entire season.
Hartman falls into the latter category because he has yet to appear in an NFL game. Contracts for players on the practice squad do not count towards an NFL team's salary cap.
When does The Bachelor start?
"The Bachelor" Season 30 with Sam Hartman will premiere March 21, 2027, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Sam Hartman NFL career before The Bachelor
Hartman began his professional career in 2024 after playing his final collegiate season at Notre Dame in 2023. He also played five seasons at Wake Forest and went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. But Hartman signed with the Commanders as a free agent.
Hartman was part of the active roster for the first five games of the 2024 season and the final two games of the 2025 season without appearing in a game. He also started Washington's first preseason game in August against the New England Patriots.
During the 2026 season, Hartman is Washington's fourth-string quarterback behind starter Jayden Daniels, backup Marcus Mariota and rookie third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sam Hartman NFL contract: What the new 'Bachelor' earns with Commanders
