Seahawks reportedly bringing back TE Luke Willson for 2020 season
Mar 17, 2020, 1:57 AM
Luke Willson will be remaining in the Seahawks' tight end room. (Getty)
(Getty)
Luke Willson will be back with the Seahawks in 2020.
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At least that’s the impression he left with a tweet late Monday night featuring a GIF of legendary pro wrestler The Ultimate Warrior (which you can see here).
“*When you get the call from the 
’s to return #year8” reads Willson’s tweet, a pretty clear indication he’s re-signing with Seattle.
Pro Football Talk followed up with a report shortly after that Willson and the Seahawks are in agreement on a one-year contract ahead of the official start of NFL free agency on Wednesday.
Willson, 30, returned to the Seahawks early in the 2019 season after being cut by the Oakland Raiders at the end of the preseason. The veteran tight end was a fifth-round pick of Seattle in the 2013 NFL Draft and spent the first six seasons of his career with the Seahawks. He was a part of Seattle’s back-to-back Super Bowl teams in 2013 and 2014 but left for the Detroit Lions in free agency ahead of the 2018 season.
The Seahawks signed Willson after Week 3 of the 2019 season, giving him the spot vacated by Nick Vannett, who had been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier the same day. Willson went on to catch eight of 10 targets in eight games (seven starts) for 79 yards.
Willson will be joined in the tight end room by recent acquisition Greg Olsen, a 13-year veteran and three-time Pro Bowler who signed with the Seahawks last month after being cut by the Carolina Panthers, and third-year pro Will Dissly, who has been a star on offense when healthy but is coming back from a torn Achilles. Seattle also has Ed Dickson under contract, but he is a candidate to be cut due to his salary and injury history.
The return of Willson leaves Jacob Hollister as Seattle’s lone tight end entering free agency. Hollister is a restricted free agent, however, and Seattle reportedly put a second-round tender on him Monday. The second-round tender is worth a $3.25 million salary in 2020, but another team could sign Hollister to an offer sheet, which would then result in the Seahawks getting a second-round pick back in return.
Willson would be the second player re-signed by the Seahawks since the “legal tampering” period of free agency began Monday, joining defensive tackle Jarran Reed.
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