Losing your role to an injury is one of the unfortunate realities of the sport, and what appeared to happen to Kansas City Chiefs' tackle Wanya Morris on Sunday Night Football. Morris exited the game with a knee injury that would shine an unexpected spotlight on the recently promoted Esa Pole. The rookie swing tackle had no previous high-level experience with KC outside of a practice squad role, being signed as an undrafted free agent. This made Sunday night's opportunity obviously important for a player fighting an uphill battle.
Pole lived up to the moment, holding his own against an incredibly talented Houston defensive front. It was one of the few great performances from the Kansas City offense and unquestionably caught the attention of Kansas City decision-makers. By the end of the game, Pole finished with only three pressures allowed (all quarterback hurries) across 42 passing downs, according to Pro Football Focus.
Now, not only could the emergence of Pole shake up the current depth chart, but offseason decisions as well.
Esa Pole Could Give Chiefs Much to Think About This Offseason
Looking at next season, Jawaan Taylor, Josh Simmons, and Jaylon Moore are all under contract for 2026. This is a trio of starting tackles that is likely going to be trimmed down to Moore and Simmons as the obvious starters. Taylor has been a consistent point of frustration and in the lineup based simply out of necessity prior to this past week's injury.
If the Chiefs are working to shake up the current depth chart, it makes sense for Pole to keep the spot behind the starters. Once the team is fully healthy, you can have Pole and Moore as the emergency tackles, with Taylor the obvious odd man out at season's end. If Pole is as consistent as he was in Sunday's performance, there simply isn't a reason to save money at the position.
According to Spotrac, cutting or trading Taylor at any point in the offseason will create $20 million in savings. That's a huge number, especially for a Chiefs squad that is projected to be more than $31.3 million over next year's salary cap.
It is important to point out that this is simply one great game from the rookie tackle. While it appears Pole is going to get another opportunity with the current health of the roster, you do need to see a bit more before you feel completely comfortable shaking up the depth chart at the end of the season.
However, for the time being, Pole should be the primary backup behind Taylor, sliding Morris out of any future plans and furthering the idea of parting ways with Taylor. A big piece of why the Chiefs would be so comfortable with this is the injuries that have given Moore a chance to cement himself as a legitimate future starter alongside standout rookie Josh Simmons, who has impressed when he has been healthy.
And, who knows? Perhaps Pole will impress the coaching staff enough to leapfrog Moore for the RT1 job next season, assuming that Taylor is no longer around.
With all of this in mind, Pole simply needs another game or two at this level to fully convince the Chiefs' front office that he's ready to contribute on the offensive line. If he succeeds, the door will be open for him to be an impact player next season and beyond.