NASHVILLE – The 2024 season was a memorable one for Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
The fifth-year receiver led the Titans with nine touchdown receptions, and he set a career high and ranked second on the team with 497 receiving yards on 32 catches (15.5 avg.). He played in all 17 games in 2024, with nine starts.
Yet when Westbrook-Ikhine reflected on the year, he did so with mixed emotions.
"It's tough to balance being excited for personal success, but not getting results as a team that you want," Westbrook-Ikhine said after the team's 3-14 season. "I feel like the shared success feels better. It feels better when you can celebrate with teammates.
"But I am proud of the work I put in, and I'm very grateful for the opportunities I was given this year."
In reality, Westbrook-Ikhine exceeded his own expectations.
At the start of the year, he began a prayer every morning "to help me be a light in this locker room."
"And," Westbrook-Ikhine said, "God did way more than that."
Now, Westbrook-Ikhine heads into an offseason with uncertainty.
After signing another one-year deal with the team last year, his contract is set to expire in March.
Right now, he's not sure what will happen next.
After his eye-opening production, he'll likely draw more interest in free agency.
Westbrook-Ikhine knows this: He loves Nashville, and he's open to returning.
"There have been tough times for me personally over the years, but at the end of the day I've felt the love of this city, whether it's people on the streets, at stores, but really the community I've found a lot of good friends I've met along the way," he said. "The fan base and as a community of Nashville, that definitely plays a factor, being rooted in the city and already and having a home.
"And, I'm really grateful for this organization, this community, these players, these coaches."
But for now, he'll have to wait and see how things play out.
He's already preparing to be ready for the 2025 season.
Whether it's in Tennessee or not remains to be seen.
"Right now, it's going to be about getting the body right, the mind right, to get ready," he said. "It's not the first time (I've been through this), so we'll see how it shakes out."
