Dan Quinn didn’t just snub Sam Hartman as an option to start against the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day, the head coach of the Washington Commanders hasn’t even deemed the second-year quarterback ready for backup duty in Week 17.
The judgement is tough on Hartman, but Quinn revealed why the former Notre Dame passer will have to settle for the third-string role when Josh Johnson and Jeff Driskel take on the QB1 and QB2 jobs, respectively, for the visit of Washington’s bitter NFC East rivals to Northwest Stadium.
Quinn explained how Hartman “didn’t get a lot of team reps as it went when you’re going through the season as the [number] four. We thought Jeff would add a different dimension to us. Next week will play out differently. So that was what we decided was the best thing this week on a short one, but everything’s open — that’s what we discussed with Sam — as we head into next week’s game,” per The Washington Post’s Tashan Reed and Tom Schad.
Johnson starting is hardly a surprise since he got the nod when Marcus Mariota injured his hand against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16. The 39-year-old has the experience over Hartman, but the latter can feel aggrieved about being usurped by Driskel, so soon after the veteran’s return to Washington.
Commanders Trusting Experience vs. Cowboys
There’s an element of Quinn and his staff erring on the side of caution by choosing Johnson and Driskel to headline a cobbled together quarterback depth chart. Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury are trusting experience over the raw upside of Hartman.
While the ex-undrafted free agent has yet to play in a competitive game since entering the pros in 2024, Johnson has nine starts in 10 years, but a wealth of knowledge gained from stints with 14 teams.
That knowledge has given Johnson the edge in a Commanders quarterback crisis that began with star signal-caller Jayden Daniels dislocating, then re-injuring his elbow . Kingsbury believes Johnson is “really unflappable. I mean, he has such a wealth of football knowledge, and there’s not a situation as a quarterback that he hasn’t been in. And so I think when you’re coaching him and you’re talking through different concepts, you know, he has thoughts on it. He’s been in it before. He’s, it may have been called eight different names and different systems he’s played in, but he’s probably repped it in a game at a time or two,” per Reed and Schad .
Kingsbury also believes expecting Hartman to go from fourth in the pecking oder to starting on a short week is a tall and unreasonable order. That’s a realistic concern, but the Commanders have kept Hartman around for too long not to give him a closer look during a lost season.
Sam Hartman Being Overlooked
Hartman has spent the best part of the last couple of seasons up close and personal with the Kingsbury playbook. He’s a capable athlete with a solid arm, but Hartman can’t seem to earn the trust of Commanders coaches.
The 26-year-old has hardly helped his case by failing to shine when given his chances in preseason. Exhibition games are the only ones Driskel suited up for as a member of the Burgundy and Gold in 2024, but the former Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback appears to have made a stronger impression.
Driskel offers the added of benefit of genuine experience in regular season games. He has 12 starts to his credit in the NFL , including five with the Bengals in 2018, as well as a two-touchdown pass effort for the Cleveland Browns in 2023.
The Commanders have chosen to roll with what they know, rather than take a chance on the unknown. It seems unnecessarily pragmatic for a 4-11 team, and Hartman might’ve provided something different in a festive game lacking genuine stakes and interest.
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