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The Kansas City Chiefs have a wide receiver problem, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. That’s why 2024 free agency is the team’s next best shot to improve the receiver room by addition and/or subtraction.
Bleacher Report’s NFL staff dissected each NFL team’s biggest roster weaknesses and pinpointed wide receiver as one of the top positions of need for the Chiefs. To help fix that need, BR suggested that Kansas City sign wideout Nick Westbrook-Ikhine during free agency in 2024.
“The Chiefs have patiently waited for some of their young receivers to blossom in Andy Reid’s offense, but it’s clear that they need to find some reinforcements in the offseason,” BR’s staff wrote on December 11. “The Chiefs likely don’t have the money to compete for the top receivers on the market, but it would make sense to find an affordable veteran with proven production.
“Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has not done enough to command much money in free agency,” they continued. “However, he has proven that he has good hands with only seven drops across his four NFL seasons combined, per Pro Football Reference.”
What to Know About Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Ikhine-Westbrook, 26, entered the NFL undrafted out of Indiana in 2020. He signed with the Tennessee Titans after the draft and played well enough during the preseason to earn a spot on the team’s practice squad at the start of the 2020 regular season.
Ikhine-Westbrook, who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 211 pounds, went on to play 14 games during his rookie campaign but had a minimal impact on the stat sheet, catching 3-of-8 targets for 33 yards on a 17% offensive snap share, per Pro Football Reference.
In 2021, Westbrook-Ikhine played a bigger part in the Titans’ wide receiver rotation by way of a 59% offensive snap share, which resulted in a 38-476-4 receiving line in 16 regular season games played.
During the 2022 season, Westbrook-Ikhine set career-highs in offensive snap percentage (75%) and total offensive snaps (777) yet underperformed in the box score (50 targets, 25 catches, 397 yards, 3 touchdowns).
This season, Westbrook-Ikhine leads all Tennessee receivers in offensive snap percentage (72%). That includes 3-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins (70%) and 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks (56%). Yet, NWI is fourth on the team in targets (43), fourth in catches (27), third in receiving yards (337), and second in receiving touchdowns (3).
Throughout his career, Westbrook-Ikhine has played 52.5% of his offensive snaps out wide and 47.2% in the slot, according to PFF, which shows his ability to play multiple positions.
Would Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Fit With Chiefs?
Westbrook-Ikhine’s production despite his limited usage in the passing game potentially puts him on Kansas City’s radar next offseason.
Ultimately, the Chiefs would first need to decide what they want to do with receiver Justin Watson, who is currently in his second season with Kansas City and is a free agent in 2024.
Watson, skill-wise, is similar to NWI (6-foot-2, 215-pound WR that can stretch the field), so if the team were to retain Watson there would be no need to sign Westbrook-Ikhine, who would likely bring a bit more production to Kansas City’s offense than Watson but would also be more expensive, albeit not that much more.
But if the defending Super Bowl champions decided to move on from Watson, then Westbrook-Ikhine should be on their radar.
Spotrac has Westbrook-Ikhine’s market value at 1 year and $2.54 million, which makes him a very affordable option next offseason.
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