Hartman has not appeared in a regular-season NFL game. He went undrafted in 2024 and signed with the Commanders as a free agent that April, the same draft in which the team took Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick. He has spent his three NFL seasons mostly on the practice squad. Before that he played college football at Wake Forest and then Notre Dame in 2023, finishing with 15,656 career passing yards and 134 touchdowns.

He discussed the role on "Good Morning America" on Friday, after the Commanders beat the New York Giants to move to 3-5-1 and into third place in the NFC East. His first reaction to the offer was "no way," he said, and he hesitated over the connotation of the role. A conversation with host Jesse Palmer changed his mind. Palmer is a former Giants quarterback who led the show's first season in 2004.

Hartman said he is looking for a partner with a "healthy sense of competition" and "compassion and some type of caregiving," qualities he tied to his family's background in healthcare. He was candid about the format. "I have a tough time holding conversation with one girl; 30 is going to be pretty tough," he said. "I'm excited but also very nervous."

His casting departs from the show's habit of choosing leads from within the franchise. Fan reaction online has been enthusiastic, with one widely shared Reddit post pointing to his age and what it called a built-in fan base. Hartman also has a modeling background that includes work with Ralph Lauren, which he has discussed on the "Hero Ball" podcast.

Hartman joins a list of former football players who have led the show. Palmer, Colton Underwood, Clayton Echard and Mel Owens all played in the NFL, and Matt James played at Wake Forest. The franchise has not aired a new season since "Bachelor in Paradise" in the summer of 2025. A season of "The Bachelorette" featuring Taylor Frankie Paul was scrapped in March after domestic abuse allegations.

Filming is set to begin after the NFL regular season ends on January 10. The playoffs start six days later, and if the Commanders reach the Super Bowl on February 14, that would be Hartman's last game before the cameras roll.