The emotional spectrum of Chiefs Kingdom is rather thin at this point in the '25 season. Somewhere between anger and despair is where you'll find Kansas Citians after watching the Chiefs fail to deliver a necessary home win against the Houston Texans in primetime.
The Week 14 loss puts the Chiefs in very unfamiliar territory—at least for newer fans. They're 6-7 overall and have already been officially eliminated in the divisional race, something they have won nine years running. And with their backs against the wall, the Chiefs' unfocused efforts only added to fan frustration, as they watched another week of drops, penalties, and odd coaching decisions.
Yet in the face of grief, it's important also to keep an eye on bright spots, those glimmers of light in the darkness. (Yes, we know we're being dramatic here, but a sub-.500 record is a crime when Patrick Mahomes is the quarterback.) And Chiefs fans found one in the performance of Esa Pole on Sunday night.
Esa Pole's ability to stand and deliver at left tackle was one of the few silver linings for the Chiefs in Week 14.
Pole was thrust into the starting lineup at left tackle after the first offensive play of the game, which is not exactly where any team wants to put a rookie free agent making his professional debut. Wanya Morris, who was a backup himself, making the start for Kansas City after losing both starting tackles (Josh Simmons and Jawaan Taylor) to injury, went down with a lower leg injury on an Isiah Pacheco run to start the first series. Pole was the new blindside protector for the duration of the game.
The entire offensive line was a patchwork effort against the Texans, a team with the NFL's number one ranked defense in both points and yards allowed. Mike Caliendo started in place of Trey Smith at right guard, who was out with an ankle injury, while Jaylon Moore filled in for Taylor at right tackle.
Following the game, head coach Andy Reid pointed to the line's efforts and admired their tenacity. "They battled. There were some early hiccups in there, but I thought they battled [against], I guess, one of the best defensive lines in the league, so it was respectable there for what they were dealing with. Some of the guys hadn’t practiced in there very much, so it was good for them."
Reid spoke further about Pole's ability to step into such a critical role in a primetime game. "He’s the one who probably didn’t practice much in there. He had limited time and he stepped up and was asked to play a crucial position at a crucial time and I thought he did a respectable job. Now, it wasn’t perfect, but it was good. Good enough."
Reid's praise felt a bit muted at the end, but he was coming off of a perplexing loss that likely knocked the Chiefs out of the postseason. Reid might be right that Pole wasn't perfect, but his ability to handle Danielle Hunter and company without the requisite preparation for such a difficult assignment is potentially a very important long-term development at a position of need.
Remember, the Chiefs have been dealing with tackle issues for years, which made finding Josh Simmons in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft such a revelation. Despite being injured, Simmons is the real deal and is locked in as the franchise's cornerstone up front for years to come. The right side, however, is in flux with Taylor likely coming off the books this offseason and Moore penciled in to take over for a single season. Morris will also be coming into a contract year.
No one should picture Pole as a possible starter. That's getting ahead of the narrative. However, if Pole can showcase an ability to be dependable depth going forward, the team's short-term concerns might be mitigated with present injuries and long-term projections could look better than anticipated.