Washington Commander sign UDFA Sam Hartman, rookie contract details revealed

While Sam Hartman did not find a home during the 2024 NFL Draft, his future is secured now. The Washington Commanders have signed the former Notre Dame standout to a rookie contract.

His deal is for three years and is worth $2.85 million. It came with a signing bonus of $245,000.

Hartman transferred to Notre Dame ahead of the 2023 campaign after spending five seasons at Wake Forest. While there, Hartman amassed 12,967 yards and an ACC-record 110 touchdowns.

He also holds single-season records in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, attempts, yards per game and total yards in the conference’s storied history.

In his lone season at Notre Dame, Hartman went 191-of-301 (63.5 percent) for 2,689 yards, 24 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. The North Carolina native finished his career with the fifth-most passing yards (15,656) in NCAA history. He’s tied with Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell for the third-most passing touchdowns (134).

Sam Hartman played high school football at Oceanside Collegiate Academy (SC), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 775 overall recruit in the 2018 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Hartman will join a Washington Commanders quarterback room with Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Jeff Driskel and Jake Fromm. While Hartman has officially found a home in the NFL, insiders are not convinced of his future at the next level.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Sam Hartman

Ahead of the draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided an in-depth review of Hartman’s abilities.

“Solidly built but shorter, Hartman plays with a competitive temperament but a lack of consistency,” Zierlein wrote. “He can play inside structure, but at heart, he’s an improv-oriented passer. He has big hands to pump and reset the football, and his Wake Forest tape showed a player capable of beating defenses on extended plays.

“He processes quickly and can go from read to throw in an instant, but the arm strength is average and could be exploited by ball-hawking defenders. There are flashes on tape that can be compelling, but his lack of physical traits and high turnover totals during his career could limit him into a role as an average backup.”