Former Indiana star wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine had a big season in his fifth year in the NFL and is set to become an NFL free agent once free agency opens up in a few months.
Westbrook-Ikhine was signed by the Tennessee Titans after the 2020 NFL Draft after playing four years in an Indiana uniform. When he was a Hoosier, Westbrook-Ikhine had 144 receptions for 2,226 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career, with his best season coming in 2016 when he had 54 receptions for 996 yards and six touchdowns.
In 2020, Westrbook-Ikhine made his NFL debut, playing in 14 games, and only had three receptions as a rookie for 33 yards. After his rookie season, the Florida native saw his production increase, with the 2024 season being his best, recording 32 receptions for 497 yards and nine touchdowns.
Westbrook-Ikhine is set to hit free agency this offseason and could see a change of scenery in his future. While consistency has been a bit of a problem in Westbrook-Ikhine's NFL career, a lot of that could be attributed to the level of quarterback play he has had to deal with in the Titans organization. When he entered the league, he had Ryan Tannehill as his quarterback, but with Derrick Henry on the roster, the run game was. It's a big part of the Titan's offense.
Tannehill dealt with some injury and was also benched in the 2023 season for rookie quarterback Will Levis, who the Titans drafted in 2023. There were also a few starts from Malik Willis and Josh Dobbs in there while Westbrook-Okhine was on the roster.
Bad quarterback play is always tough to play through as a wide receiver, but this season, even on the team that ended up being the worst in the NFL, getting the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Westbrook-Ikhine still found ways to shine.
Scoring nine touchdowns this season showed that Westbrook-Ikhine could be a reliable wide receiver in a system with a good quarterback. There are many NFL teams that could use solid young wide receivers to help out quarterbacks who need targets. Teams like the Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, and many others could use a receiver with good hands and solid speed.
Westbrook-Ikhine could be a low-risk-high-reward player for any team that is willing to take a chance on him. If he can do it with Will Levis as his quarterback, he can probably do it with anyone.