Titans' Nick Westbrook-Ikhine received some serious disrespect in preseason Week 2

The Tennessee Titans wrapped up their second preseason game on Saturday night and secured another win to improve to 2-0. This game presented a chance for the backups to prove they belong, as head coach Brian Callahan announced earlier in the week that none of the starters would play .

Indeed, no starters took the field, and a few backups got the night off ,as well. However, one recent staple of the Titans’ roster was on the field much more than anyone anticipated.

Wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was on the field for the entire first half. That’s not a problem necessarily, but it is strange considering Treylon Burks was given the starter treatment. Burks did not suit up for the game, even though the former first-round pick could certainly have used the reps.

What exactly has Burks done to supplant Westbrook-Ikhine in the pecking order? Other than being a top pick, there’s nothing Burks has done to deserve the starter treatment. Westbrook-Ikhine did make the most of his playing time, collecting two catches for 20 yards and a score.

In 2023, Westbrook-Ikhine outdid Burks in every receiving category. DeAndre Hopkins was the only Titans’ WR to catch more passes than Westbrook-Ikhine did last season. Still, Westbrook-Ikhine is treated like a bottom of the depth chart piece and Burks gets the night off.

To be fair, after the game, Callahan said he “knows what (Westbrook-Ikhine) is capable of,” and that he “just wanted to see (Westbrook-Ikhine) play.”

Still, it was strange to see Westbrook-Ikhine sent out to take hits in a meaningless preseason game. Nobody thinks the wide receiver is on the chopping block, so those reps could have been given to one of the younger guys.