The Miami Dolphins look almost unrecognizable from what they looked like the last time we saw them on the field. With a new regime in place, the Dolphins are tearing their team down from top to bottom, and it has resulted in several key players, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, finding new homes.
While moves like the releases of Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill were expected, the decision to trade Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos on Tuesday caught folks off guard. And as if losing one of their top remaining playmakers wasn’t already bad enough, it looks like Miami has watched another one of its wide receivers, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, land with the Indianapolis Colts in free agency.
Colts Sign Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in Free Agency
After the dust settled on Miami’s flurry of offseason moves, Waddle and running back De’Von Achane were left standing as the team’s top two offensive playmakers. With the team signing Malik Willis to come in and be their new quarterback in free agency, it made sense that the Dolphins wouldn’t want to trade either guy, as they wanted Willis to have some weapons to work with on offense.
Instead, Waddle is on the move, leaving Achane as the only guy who truly strikes fear into opposing defenses. That led some folks to wonder whether the team could reunite with Westbrook-Ikhine, who was released by the team back in February. While Westbrook-Ikhine caught only 11 passes for 89 yards last season, he was likely released with the belief being that Waddle would still be in town.
Instead, Waddle is gone, and it wasn’t too long ago that Westbrook-Ikhine racked up 32 receptions for 497 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024 with the Tennessee Titans. The decision to trade Waddle didn’t change things for the Dolphins, though, as they watched the Colts come in and sign him to a contract on Wednesday afternoon, dealing another blow to Miami’s offense.
“Colts are signing former Dolphins WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported in a post on X.
Dolphins Need to Add Some Weapons to Their Offense
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 26: Jaylen Waddle #17 of the Miami Dolphins celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter in the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Losing Westbrook-Ikhine isn’t exactly a gut punch for the Dolphins; after all, they did release him earlier this offseason. However, wide receiver is perhaps the lightest spot on Miami’s roster right now, meaning it could use all the help it can get here. With that in mind, revisiting Westbrook-Ikhine could have been a sensible move for the front office.
Instead, he’s officially gone, meaning that the Dolphins still have a ton of work to do at this spot. Armed with a treasure chest of draft picks, Miami will likely look to the 2026 NFL Draft when it comes to its effort to reinforce this spot, but that could make life increasingly difficult for Willis as he adapts to his new team’s offense. The Dolphins are in a tough spot, and it’s tough to see how things will get better for them in the immediate future.
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