Pending Titans free agent must return to the team in 2025

The Tennessee Titans will have some question marks at the wide receiver position heading into this offseason. After trading DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs, the in-form Calvin Ridley is the lone big-name wideout under contract for next year.

General manager Ran Carthon may be searching for answers at the position this offseason. Veteran undrafted free agent Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is doing everything he can to ensure he helps provide Carthon with some solutions.

Tennessee's passing offense has struggled with productivity and clearly defined roles, but ever since the Hopkins trade, Brian Callahan's vision has become clearer. Ridley is playing the "Z/flanker" spot as the deep threat, and Westbrook-Ikhine has done an admirable job replacing Hopkins as the "X" receiver in the offense.

Ridley has turned into a true WR1, posting 20 receptions for 300 yards and two touchdowns over the last three weeks. Ridley spent the first two months of the season asking for more volume and the Titans are making sure he gets it.

Ridley is playing the same role that Ja'Marr Chase fills for the Cincinnati Bengals (where Brian Callahan was the offensive coordinator). There was a sliver of hope that Treylon Burks might develop into a useful player this season with a bigger role in mind for next year, but he's injured again, and Westbrook-Ikhine has outperformed him at every turn.

Roles opposite Ridley in Tennessee's passing offense for next season are wide open. Westbrook-Ikhine is certainly making a valiant attempt to lock down a permanent role in the offense, in 2025 and beyond. He's currently playing out a one-year contract worth $2 million. The Titans should have interest in re-signing him, even at a slightly higher price.

Westbrook-Ikhine has been much more productive in the role Burks was playing earlier this season. Not only does he lead the Titans with four receiving touchdowns, but he is on pace for a 500-yard season despite being on the bench for the bulk of the first half of the year.

Carthon must still acquire receiver(s) capable of being instant contributors in 2025. Relying on Westbrook-Ikhine to be a dominant player would be foolish. But if the Titans can draft or add a big-time receiver, Westbrook-Ikhine can provide depth and competition thanks to his versatile ability to play every position, including the slot.

The Titans aren't going to have as much money as they did last offseason when they went on their spending spree. With two starting receiver jobs coming open, the franchise would be smart to bring Westbrook-Ikhine back on a multi-year deal knowing that his floor is one of the better backup pass catchers in the NFL.