The Washington Commanders have already named rookie Jayden Daniels their starting quarterback entering Week 1 of the regular season. But if Daniels were to ever get injured, the Commanders want to ensure they have ample backup options in place.
Washington has signed Sam Hartman to their practice squad, via Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The quarterback was amongst the players cut to get the Commanders' roster down to 53.
But clearly Hartman made an impression on the team. While he isn't guaranteed to even suit up on gamedays, the pass thrower spent all summer learning Washington's offense. As he continues to grow and develop as a quarterback, the Commanders knew they didn't want Hartman to leave Washington.
Still, the team is expecting massive strides before Hartman ever sees the field. He joined the team as an undrafted free agent after spending six years at the college level. Five years at Wake Forest and one with Notre Dame saw Hartman throw for 15,656 yards, 134 touchdowns and 49 interceptions.
He played in just the Commanders' preseason opener against the New York Jets, completing eight of 13 passes for 83 scoreless yards. While he has plenty of experience, the NFL game is much different than what Hartman experienced at the college level. There is a reason he ultimately went unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Sam Hartman will re-join a quarterback room that features Daniels, Marcus Mariota and Jeff Driskell. Daniels will take all the quarterback snaps when healthy, but Mariota and Driskell are both respected veterans should be get hurt. Hartman will face a treacherous uphill climb to see the field in Washington.
But the Commanders aren't ruling it out sometime down the line. They at least want to see what they have in the quarterback by stashing him on the practice squad. Hartman will take the most of the opportunity and attempt to prove he belongs on an NFL roster.
