$300 Xterra - WTF is THAT!?

I’ve never seen such a weird idler pulley attached to a hunk of metal on any of MY cars.

I figured these would be first to get lost.

It for sure has an header / exhaust leak on drivers side. Still I’d daily for $300+ repairs.

But it looks like my brother in law will get it first, as his truck got wrecked a couple weeks ago.