Luke Willson

Luke Michael Willson (born January 15, 1990) is a Canadian former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL).

Willson played his first five seasons in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks where he won Super Bowl XLVIII. After spending the 2018 season with the Detroit Lions, Willson then had an offseason stint with the Oakland Raiders in 2019 before rejoining the Seahawks during the regular season. In 2020, Willson played for the Baltimore Ravens for part of the regular season before joining the Seahawks for the third time near the end of the season. Despite signing an extension with the Seahawks, he retired during the 2021 offseason.

Willson played with the Canadian Junior National baseball team in 2008. In 2011, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, but decided to return to football.

Early life Willson attended St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic Secondary School in LaSalle, Ontario, near Windsor, and was all-conference three times in football. After reporting late to camp in 2008 due to his baseball commitments in Canada, Willson redshirted as a true freshman.

Freshman season Willson finished his redshirt freshman year with 7 receptions for 122 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.

Sophomore season He finished his sophomore season in 2010 with a total of 33 receptions, 425 receiving yards, and 3 receiving touchdowns.

Seattle Seahawks (first stint)

He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft out of Rice University. Willson played in every game for Seattle in 2013 and scored his first touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. At the end of the regular season, Willson was graded as the second most valuable rookie tight end by Football Outsiders, despite being the eighth tight end selected in the 2013 NFL draft.

Willson's rookie season was capped with a blowout win in Super Bowl XLVIII; he caught two passes for 17 yards in the Seahawks' 43–8 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Willson's second season in 2014 saw an increased role when starting tight end Zach Miller was injured after a Week 4 Super Bowl rematch against Denver, eventually ending up on injured reserve. Willson caught a game-winning 23 yard touchdown pass with less than a minute left in week 8 against the Carolina Panthers. He later starred in a week 16 game against the Arizona Cardinals, catching three passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Willson ended the season with 22 catches for 362 yards and three touchdowns.

In that season's playoffs, Willson caught four passes for 68 yards and a touchdown in a divisional round game against the Carolina Panthers. A week later, he caught a key two-point conversion in the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers, as the Seahawks rallied to defeat the Packers 28–22 to reached consecutive Super Bowls. In Super Bowl XLIX, Willson had no catches as the Seahawks failed to repeat as champions, defeated by the New England Patriots, who rallied in the fourth quarter behind quarterback

On March 17, 2017, Willson re-signed with the Seahawks.

Detroit Lions After five years in Seattle, Willson signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Detroit Lions on March 21, 2018.

Oakland Raiders On March 29, 2019, Willson was signed by the Oakland Raiders, but was released during final roster cuts on August 30 .

Seattle Seahawks (second stint) On September 25, 2019, Willson was signed by the Seahawks after they traded tight end Nick Vannett to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Willson re-signed with the Seahawks on April 21, 2020, and was released on November 3 .

Baltimore Ravens On November 17, 2020, Willson was signed to the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster on November 21 for the team's week 11 game against the Tennessee Titans, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. He was elevated to the active roster on December 2 for the team's week 12 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. He was promoted to the active roster on December 4, and waived on December 19.

Seattle Seahawks (third stint) On December 30, 2020, Willson signed with the practice squad of the Seahawks. He was promoted to the active roster on January 6, 2021.

Willson re-signed with the Seahawks on August 24, 2021. He announced his retirement the next day, citing a heart-related condition.

Personal life Willson has attributed his success in life to being a part of the Catholic Church.

Willson had a Tuesday guest spot with BJ & Migs Mornings on 99.9 KISW "The Rock of Seattle" radio station titled "The End Zone with Luke Willson."

He has also appeared several times as an NFL analyst on Canadian sports television network TSN during the 2022-23 season and playoffs. In 2025, Willson joined the CFL on TSN as a sideline analyst and he continues to make appearances on TSN as an in-studio analyst on SportsCentre, SC with Jay Onrait, OverDrive and CTV/TSN’s NFL broadcasts.

In October 2025, Willson's podcast, "Film Never Lies", debuted. The weekly podcast covers his life in professional football with guests from across sports and pop culture, including former teammates Marshawn Lynch and Jimmy Graham, Alphonso Davies, Michael Saunders and Tyrone Crawford.