Titans Could Lose Rising Star WR to AFC Rival

The Tennessee Titans could lose this budding star wide receiver in NFL free agency.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (15) is hit by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Josh Newton (28) as the pass arrives during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. The ball was knocked into the air and intercepted by Cincinnati. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans' offense is certainly painful to watch right now, so the team absolutely needs to add more weapons during the NFL offseason.

The Titans also need to ensure they don't lose anyone of significance, either.

That includes wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who has been a surprising rising star for the club during the second half of 2024.

However, Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine is already linking Westbrook-Ikhine to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.

"Nick Westbrook-Ikhine isn't a flashy name, but he's become a quiet producer for the Titans offense," Ballentine wrote. "The 6'2", 211-pound receiver is a bigger target and he's used that size to get eight touchdowns this season. Putting him on the field with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer could give the Raiders multiple big receivers that defenses have to worry about."

In addition to his eight scores, Westbrook-Ikhine has caught 23 passes for 393 yards.

Here is the catch, though: the 27-year-old didn't even get his first target until Week 6, and he is also playing in an offense that doesn't have much of an answer at quarterback.

Extrapolate Westbrook-Ikhine's numbers over a full 17-game campaign with a decent signal-caller, and he might be significantly more productive.

The Raiders could ultimately land Shedeur Sanders in the NFL Draft, so a potential connection between Sanders and Westbrook-Ikhine would be interesting.

Westbrook-Ikhine has been a revelation for Tennessee over the last couple of months, serving as a very dependable No. 2 option to Calvin Ridley.

This is his fifth NFL season, so it's not like the Indiana Hoosiers product is new to the game. But he certainly seems to be finding his niche of late, as evidenced by the fact that he is averaging a hefty 17.1 yards per catch.

We'll see if the Titans can retain him in free agency.

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