Esa Pole is heading to the Washington Commanders‘ practice squad, a day after Kansas City unexpectedly released him during final roster cuts.
“A stunner: The Chiefs released OT Esa Pole, a source tells The Star,” Kansas City Star columnist Sam McDowell wrote in a Sunday post that caught even close observers off guard. McDowell added Monday that a source told him Pole plans to sign with Washington’s practice squad, a move confirmed by separate reports that he cleared waivers and signed as a free agent, not a waiver claim.
The Commanders are expected to place starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil on injured reserve this week, a source told The Washington Post, leaving an obvious opening for a lineman who just became available.
Esa Pole’s Route to Washington Commanders
Pole, 25, is a 6-foot-7, 319-pound tackle out of Washington State who broke into the league as an undrafted free agent with Kansas City in 2025, according to Kansas City’s official player profile. He was born in Hayward, California, and played basketball at Mt. Eden High School before starting his college career at Chabot College, where his brother Toni coached the defensive line, according to Chabot’s own account of his rise. He transferred to Washington State and did not allow a sack across 498 pass-blocking snaps as a senior, according to official Washington State information.
Kansas City waived Pole in the 2025 final cuts, and the Jets claimed him the next day before releasing him two months later. The Chiefs brought him back to their practice squad that October.
“Big guys are hard to find, that can move like he does,” Andy Reid said, as quoted by Chiefs Wire.
Kansas City promoted Pole to the active roster that December after Josh Simmons landed on injured reserve, and Pole made his debut days later when Wanya Morris was hurt on the first offensive snap, starting Kansas City’s final four games at left tackle. By this spring, Reid had him drawing rotational reps with the first-team offense and said it was clear Pole had worked hard over the offseason.
Why the Kansas City Chiefs Cut Esa Pole
Kansas City’s tackle competition tightened further over cutdown weekend when the club traded for Baltimore lineman Diego Pounds, according to the team’s official transaction list. That left Pole squeezed out of a group that still includes Simmons and Jaylon Moore.
Kansas City’s Sunday cutdown also included edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah and cornerback Kaiir Elam among the veterans let go, part of a broader roster crunch that swept Arrowhead Stadium ahead of the deadline, according to Arrowhead Pride‘s cutdown tracker.
For Washington, the appeal is straightforward. Pole gives the team young, cheap tackle depth with NFL starting snaps already logged in Andy Reid’s offense, arriving just as the blind side thins out. Tunsil’s torn triceps is expected to send him to injured reserve alongside defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, a double hit up front for a Commanders team still finalizing its 53-man roster.
The Commanders have not issued a formal statement on the signing. Whether Pole sees game action this season depends on how many more linemen Washington needs before the opener, and whether last season’s four starts in Kansas City prove to be more than a one-year fluke.
