The Indianapolis Colts were one of several NFL teams that started OTAs on Tuesday, kicking off an important part of the offseason program that will prepare the team for training camp and the 2026 season. While there is plenty of time for Indy’s business to unfold on the field, this is a big first step for the players on the team.
For some returning, established veterans, OTAs are just business as usual. For rookies, this is a massive moment, as they are joining the full team for the first time in their careers. While exciting, that’s an opportunity that also comes with a lot of pressure to prove they belong.
That feeling isn’t unique to rookies, though. There are veterans all throughout the league who are under pressure to prove they still belong. For the Colts, one of the veterans who fall in that category is Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. With OTAs underway, the veteran receiver has the opportunity to prove he can be a reliable contributor for Indianapolis.
OTAs gives Nick Westbrook-Ikhine the opportunity to prove he can be Colts’ WR3
The Colts re-signed Alec Pierce this offseason, and traded away Michael Pittman Jr. That left Pierce and Josh Downs as the team’s top-two wide receivers, which left people asking who will emerge as the team’s third option at receiver.
Westbrook-Ikhine, who was signed by Indy this offseason, is the most likely option. The veteran wideout only signed a one-year deal worth $1.4 million with the Colts, and he’ll have to have a productive season to secure future opportunities.
This will be the receiver’s seventh year in the league, and he has put together a nice career for himself after going undrafted in 2020. The wideout played his first five seasons with the Tennessee Titans, catching 126 passes for 1,773 yards and 19 touchdowns in 78 games.
He left Tennessee last offseason, signing a two-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, but his production significantly dropped. Westbrook-Ikhine had just 11 receptions for 89 yards in 15 games, and was released after the season.
Now, the receiver is in Indianapolis, and he’s hoping for a bounce-back year. He’s currently penciled in as the team’s WR3, and since the Colts didn’t add many people to the wide receiver room, outside of Westbrook-Ikhine and Deion Burks, the veteran may not face much competition.
Still, Westbrook-Ikhine is under pressure to prove to the Colts and the rest of the NFL that he remains a productive wideout. That process has officially started with OTAs.
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