Esa Pole among Chiefs’ only bright spots in Week 14 loss to Texans — and the future could be even brighter for the rookie

Esa Pole’s performance in Week 14 vs. Texans should earn him an extended look as a starter with the Chiefs.

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor
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The Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 14 loss to the Houston Texans took a disastrous turn just seconds into the first quarter of the game.

Already down two starting offensive tackles, Chiefs backup LT Wanya Morris suffered a leg injury on the opening offensive play of the game. This injury thrust undrafted rookie OT Esa Pole into action on just the second play of the game. A preseason standout for Kansas City, Pole was actually waived during 53-man roster cuts and claimed by the New York Jets. He returned to Kansas City in late October after being waived by New York. He had even just been promoted to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.

The next-man-up mentality is one most NFL teams preach, but the Chiefs have taken it to heart in recent years amid notable injuries to key players. Thankfully for Pole, the Chiefs’ coaching staff continues to preach to their players to treat every week as if they were going to start. After all, you don’t have to get ready if you’re always prepared.

“It kind of happened, like I said, in the blink of an eye,” Pole told reporters in the locker room. “But as I reiterated, the coaches and the staff here kept me ready, kept me going, and they constantly told me, ‘You’re one play away.’ Funny enough, it was one play.”

Chiefs HC Andy Reid and QB Patrick Mahomes impressed by OT Esa Pole’s performance on Sunday

Esa Pole passed the eye test on Sunday night, but when you look at the numbers, it’s even more promising. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Pole held Texans EDGE Danielle Hunter to a single pressure on 21 matchups. That pressure was after Mahomes had held onto the ball for 4.2 seconds. He became the the 1st tackle to face Hunter more than 20 times and allow one or fewer pressures. Basically, he stonewalled one of the hottest pass-rushers in football, and he did so without all the practice reps.

“Yeah, so he’s one that probably didn’t practice much in there,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid said of Pole. “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.”

As for Patrick Mahomes, he gave Pole perhaps the highest possible praise. That’s to say that he felt Pole gave him time to deliver the ball down the field in some big moments.

“I thought Esa (Pole) played his tail off for being a guy that had to get activated and be on the roster and go up against one of the best pass-rushers in the league,” Mahomes said. “I thought he did a great job giving me time to throw the ball down the field in big situations.”

Unfortunately, Pole’s performance was not part of a winning effort, but this is only just the beginning for the rookie. He’s not only earned the opportunity for another start, but he’s in line to be the Chiefs’ starter at left tackle for the remainder of the season. With some tough decisions ahead for Kansas City during the offseason, Pole could find himself auditioning for a bigger role in 2026 and beyond.

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