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Sam Hartman chugs beer at Capitals playoff game as Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota cheer him on

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•04/23/25•

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Sam Hartman chugs a beer at a Capitals game as Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota cheer him on
Screenshot courtesy of @BR_OpenIce/X

As the Washington Capitals hosted the Montreal Canadiens in Wednesday’s first-round game of the NHL Playoffs, the Washington Commanders quarterback room was in attendance. In the first period, Sam Hartman got the crowd at Capital One Arena fired up in a big way.

Hartman, who was on the videoboard at the time, chugged his 24oz Michelob Ultra – much to the fans’ delight. Teammates Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota cheered him on as the former Notre Dame quarterback built a buzz throughout the arena early in the matchup.

Hartman signed with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent a year ago. Ahead of his second season in the league, it’s safe to say he still has a strong bond with his fellow quarterbacks.

Sam Hartman played six years of college football, starting with five at Wake Forest – where he became the ACC’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns – before one season at Notre Dame in 2023. With the Fighting Irish, he threw for 2,689 yards and 24 touchdowns before declaring for the NFL Draft.

After going undrafted, Hartman signed with the Commanders shortly after the seventh round wrapped. He then signed a reserves/future contract with the franchise and will return in 2025.

The Commanders put together a strong first season under Dan Quinn in 2024. Daniels won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award as he led the franchise to the NFC Championship, throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 891 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

Mariota also returned, signing a one-year contract worth $8 million. That means Daniels will continue to learn under the Oregon great, who opted not to leave via free agency and instead run it back for another go-round.

The Commanders also made some big moves this offseason, notably giving Daniels another weapon by bringing in Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers. The goal is for the former LSU star to take a leap forward in his second year in the league, and Quinn said there were signs of improvement down the stretch in 2024. But there’s one key area of focus entering training camp: footwork.

“We thought he made a lot of improvement extending plays,” Quinn said, via ESPN’s John Keim. “Early on in the season, they were extending to run, and then now they got extending to throw the ball down the field. But for him, the footwork, that’s one thing I know he’s going to dig in hard on this year.”