Sam Hartman still doesn’t know if he’ll have a roster spot on the Washington Commanders come September. On Tuesday, he gave a group of fans at training camp something better than a guarantee: a memory.
A group of young fans attending Commanders training camp in Ashburn, Virginia, asked Hartman to read off the draft order for their fantasy football league, picking names at random on camera. He didn’t hesitate. Yahoo Fantasy Sports posted the video on X on August 11, 2026, crediting the original clip to TikTok user robbbooo.
Sam Hartman chose the draft order for this fantasy league at training camp 😭
(via robbbooo/TT) pic.twitter.com/aQlL1wFg2x
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 11, 2026
Hartman fumbled a name or two in the process, mispronouncing one and skipping over another before catching himself. Nobody in the group seemed to mind. He has built a reputation over two seasons in Washington as one of the more approachable players on the roster, and moments like this are a big reason why.
The 27-year-old signed with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2024 after a college career split between Wake Forest and Notre Dame, where he finished as Wake Forest’s all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He’s been waived and re-signed by Washington multiple times since, bouncing between the practice squad and the active roster, but he keeps finding his way back.
Part of that staying power is talent. Part of it, fans will tell you, is personality. Hartman has developed a following for his looks as much as his arm, and even his own quarterback room ribs him for it. Franchise QB Jayden Daniels once called Hartman “majestic” during an NFL Network segment, according to Yahoo Sports, which reported that the two have grown close as teammates over the past two years.
Hartman’s roster spot is far from secure
The fan-friendly moment comes at a tense time for Hartman professionally. He sits behind Daniels and veteran Marcus Mariota on Washington’s depth chart, and now he’s fighting to hold off rookie seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis for the No. 3 job.
Kaliakmanis, a Rutgers transfer who threw for 3,124 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final college season, was a somewhat surprising Day 3 selection for a team that didn’t have an obvious need at quarterback. But Washington’s coaching staff has made clear this camp that the QB3 competition is real. Hartman has yet to attempt a regular-season pass in two years with the franchise and struggled during last year’s preseason, which has only sharpened the spotlight on this summer’s battle.
The winner likely earns a 53-man roster spot behind Daniels and Mariota. The loser could be looking for work elsewhere by the time Washington finalizes its roster at the end of August.
None of that showed on Hartman’s face Tuesday. For a few minutes at camp, the pressure of an NFL roster battle took a back seat to a group of fans and their fantasy league, and Hartman played along like it was the biggest decision of his week.
