Sam Hartman Named Star of The Bachelor Season 30, Airing March 21
Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman, 27, will lead the 30th season of ABC's The Bachelor, which premieres March 21. He becomes the second NFL quarterback to star in the franchise, after Jesse Palmer in 2004, as the show returns after two years off the air.
ABC announced Friday, November 13, 2026, that Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman will star in Season 30 of "The Bachelor," premiering March 21. The casting is the centerpiece of this Bachelor season 30 feature, and it ends a two-year gap for the flagship dating series.
Hartman, 27, has been with the Commanders since going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has spent most of that time on the practice squad and has not appeared in a regular-season game.
From Wake Forest to reality TV
Hartman played four seasons at Wake Forest before transferring to Notre Dame for his final college year in 2023. He set Atlantic Coast Conference records for most career touchdown passes and most 300-yard passing games.
In 2021, Wake Forest went 11-3 as Hartman threw for nearly 4,300 yards and 39 touchdowns. He added 11 rushing touchdowns. At Notre Dame, the team went 9-3 as he threw 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
He also appeared in Season 2 of the Netflix docuseries "QB1: Beyond the Lights." Hartman is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Second quarterback in the lead role
Hartman is the second NFL quarterback to headline the show. Jesse Palmer, a former Florida and New York Giants quarterback, was the lead in the first season in 2004.
Palmer is now an ESPN college football analyst and the show's host. He married in 2020 and did not meet his future spouse on the show.
Another former quarterback, Jordan Rodgers, appeared on "The Bachelorette" and was chosen by that season's lead, JoJo Fletcher. They married in 2022. More than 20 couples who met on either show are currently together.
A relaunch for the franchise
Season 30 arrives two years after the last installment, which starred Grant Ellis. The franchise has had a rough stretch since.
"The Bachelorette" was pulled from the air at the last minute a year ago amid a domestic violence scandal involving star Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. The most recent entry was "Bachelor in Paradise" Season 10, which aired in the summer of 2025.
Chris Harrison, who hosted every version of "The Bachelor" until 2021, is also back in the franchise's orbit. He left after backlash over his defense of former contestant Rachel Kirkconnell, who had faced allegations of racism tied to an antebellum plantation-themed party she attended. Harrison now hosts a Fox Nation series called "The Vow," which follows contestants seeking a "traditional marriage."
"The Bachelor" is produced by Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. Executive producers are Scott Teti, Jason Ehrlich and Andy Frank.
The 30th season premieres March 21 on ABC.
