The actor, who played Jamie Reagan across all 14 seasons of “Blue Bloods,” will reprise the role on “Boston Blue,” the CBS spinoff starring Donnie Wahlberg as Jamie’s older brother Danny. Wahlberg confirmed the casting by sharing a behind-the-scenes photo with his onscreen brother on Instagram. The pair appeared together with co-stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Marcus Scribner and Mika Amonsen. “Welcome (back) to the family! Jamie Reagan! AKA Will Estes!” Wahlberg wrote in the caption.
Estes was first spotted on the Boston Blue set earlier in the week, sparking speculation among fans before the appearance was confirmed. He becomes the fourth Reagan family member to cross over into the spinoff, following two appearances by Bridget Moynahan’s Erin Reagan and single episodes featuring Len Cariou’s Henry Reagan and Will Hochman’s Joe Hill. Marisa Ramirez has also returned regularly as Danny’s former partner and current girlfriend, Maria Baez.
Jamie never turned up during the spinoff’s first season, though the show kept fans updated on his life. In one episode, Danny received a text from Jamie showing a photo of his newborn nephew, dressed up for St. Patrick’s Day. The boy, named Joey Francis Reagan, was conceived in a storyline that traced back to the December 2024 series finale of the original show, which revealed Jamie and his wife Eddie were expecting their first child. Vanessa Ray, who plays Eddie, told Us Weekly a Boston cameo of her own remains “definitely in the realm of possibility,” though she said she has no confirmed plans yet.
Producers have not disclosed what draws Jamie north or how many episodes Estes will appear in. Estes has not taken any other acting roles since “Blue Bloods” concluded in 2024, a run that followed earlier credits including “The Dark Knight Rises” and “7th Heaven.”
“Boston Blue” follows Danny after he left the NYPD to join the Boston Police Department, largely to stay close to his son Sean. The series earned an early renewal for its second season in December, and it returns Oct. 9. The steady stream of “Blue Bloods” alumni drifting through the new show has fueled talk that Tom Selleck, who anchored the original as police commissioner Frank Reagan, could eventually make his own appearance.
