Tennessee Titans Bring Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Back on One-Year Deal

A day after the Tennessee Titans declined to tender wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, the team was able to agree to terms with Westbrook-Ikhine on a one-year contract to return in 2023.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans finally made an addition to the wide receiver group in free agency, but it was not a player most Titans’ fans will be excited to see return. The Titans will bring back Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on a one-year deal in 2023. The Titans declined to tender Westbrook-Ikhine on Wednesday as a restricted free agent, but find a way to bring him back to Nashville for his fourth season with the team.

The #Titans have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

Also, DL Naquan Jones has signed his tender as an exclusive rights free agent.

READ https://t.co/Cn0Xp1WFvb pic.twitter.com/EnDRoi3HtT

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) March 16, 2023

Westbrook-Ikhine joined the Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2020 out of the University of Indiana. He started out as a special teams-only player and drew the praise of the coaching staff for his ability as a gunner on coverage teams. Westbrook-Ikhine worked hard from that point to establish himself as one of the better wide receivers on the team.

In 2021, when Westbrook-Ikhine finally got a real opportunity to play receiver, he put together a nice season. Hauling in 38 catches for 476 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. He followed that up with a similar season in 2022. Catching 25 passes for 397 yards and scoring three touchdowns. For his career, the undrafted free agent has piled up 66 catches for 906 yards and seven scores. A very good first few seasons considering his projection out of college.

However, Westbrook-Ikhine is still best served in a reserve role and not the role he has been forced into with the Titans over the past two seasons due to injuries and a talent deficit at his position. Westbrook-Ikhine is plodding with very little dynamism to his game. He has not shown the ability to consistently get open and for being as big as he is, 6’2” and 215 pounds, doesn’t have the contested catch ability he should. While he is a good story, he simply isn’t good enough to be asked to do what the Titans ask, regardless of his ability to block.

If the Titans are serious about correcting their issues at wide receiver, Westbrook-Ikhine’s role will be severely minimized in 2023. It would make sense if that is the plan considering how his contract status was handled. Tendering Westbrook-Ikhine as a “right of first refusal” free agent would have cost the Titans $2.6 million on the cap. Declining that option and bringing Westbrook-Ikhine back should signal it is at a lower cost than the tender. That is one bright spot Titans fans can take from the move. 

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