Six months ago, Esa Pole was championed among Kansas City Chiefs fans as the next big thing at offensive tackle—and rightfully so. Now? The second-year lineman is sitting on the roster bubble, with those same fans wondering what happened to the hype.
On a day when NFL teams must release nearly 40 players per team in order to meet the league's roster cut deadline, the Chiefs must be having difficult internal conversations about Pole and the considerable drop in his stock since last season. In fact, it feels safe to say that no other player on the team has suffered such a precipitous decline in the last few months.
Consider this: the Chiefs have traded for two backup offensive linemen who could step in at tackle in just the last few days, an indicator that the assessment of the second-string offensive front is abysmal. One of those players, former Baltimore Ravens lineman Diego Pounds, is all-in at tackle while the other, former New York Giants lineman Joshua Ezeudu, is likely slated to play inside. Suffice it to say, however, that these imports are proof positive that holdover linemen should be worried about their jobs.
Esa Pole entered the offseason with a clear path to a roster spot
That includes Pole, who only last winter was a good bet to enter the '26 season as the team's swing tackle. When the Chiefs released Jawaan Taylor for salary cap relief before the start of free agency, the assumption was that veteran Jaylon Moore would compete with Pole for right tackle reps. Josh Simmons was back to man the left side, and the trio was penciled in as the Chiefs' bookends for the next year.
Pole joined the Chiefs as a priority free agent out of Washington State who was surprisingly passed over in the 2025 NFL Draft. A strong preseason made it tough to cut him, but he was claimed by the New York Jets as the Chiefs failed to stash him on their practice squad. The Jets cut him in October, and the Chiefs corrected their mistake. Pole was activated for his debut in early December, and injuries would push him into a starting role for a full month (4 games).
While Pole's performance wasn't perfect down the stretch, his potential was still exciting, and a full offseason to shoulder more responsibility was in store. But something happened this offseason that no one in Chiefs Kingdom expected: the buzz simply disappeared. Talk of Pole was virtually nonexistent during OTAs, mandatory minicamp, and training camp. Instead, it was rookie free agent Kahlil Benson rotating reps with Jaylon Moore.
The Chiefs’ roster math is suddenly working against Esa Pole
Pole logged the second-most snaps (tied with IOL Hunter Nourzad) with 151, behind Pete Nygra's 182, but that doesn't necessarily work in his favor. Playing late into games puts him on the roster bubble, and the fact that the Chiefs just traded for Pounds only further clouds the picture. Pole feels safer than, say, Ethan Driskell and Chu Godrick, but that's not a given.
With Simmons, Moore, Benson, and Pounds, the Chiefs already have four offensive tackles on the roster before even getting to interior guys who could still slide outside in a pinch (à la Edeuzu or Mike Caliendo, if he makes the roster). Is Pole safe? Can the Chiefs safety move him to the practice squad if they don't have room on the 53-man roster? If so, what does Pole's stock look like now?
So much can change in a single offseason, but expectations for Pole were a leap forward—not a step into obscurity. What looked like a roster lock and an ascending young talent has turned into a real question of whether or not he'll even make the team.
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