Washington is taking care of Sam Hartman. After the veteran Wake Forest and Notre Dame quarterback went undrafted this weekend, he struck a very nice deal with the Commanders.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Hartman inked one of the more lucrative undrafted free agent deals yet, which includes some guaranteed cash and a signing bonus. Here were the details, which Pelissero tweeted out:
“The Commanders gave former Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman one of the biggest guarantees among undrafted free agents: a $20,000 signing bonus and $225,000 base salary guarantee. A sign Hartman is in Washington’s plans for 2024.”
Over a college career which spanned six season, Hartman became one of the most prolific passers in NCAA history, racking up an eye-popping 15,656 passing yards over the course of six seasons in college football. He also threw for 134 touchdowns with 49 interceptions.
Hartman spent his first five seasons at Wake Forest, where he did considerable damage in the QB-friendly Demon Deacon scheme under Dave Clawson before transferring to Notre Dame for his final season. With Wake, Hartman led an 11-3 season in 2021 and then an 8-5 year in 2022, terrific campaigns by program standards.
Now headed to the next level, he’ll look to bring the kind of savvy and veteran leadership you’d expect of a player who spent six seasons in college.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Sam Hartman
The big knock on Hartman heading to the next level is his size and his physical traits. He’s not the tallest quarterback, while his arm strength leaves a little something to be desired.
There are some definite tools to work with, but his upside might be limited as a result of the aforementioned concerns.
Here’s what NFL Network analyst Lance Zierlein had to say in evaluating Hartman:
“Solidly built but shorter, Hartman plays with a competitive temperament but a lack of consistency. 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.”
More must-reads: