Esa Pole had never played football before junior college, then rode a shutout senior season at Washington State to an NFL debut two years later.
Esa Pole is a former high school basketball player who took an unusual route into football, starting at Chabot College before starring at left tackle for Washington State. After bouncing between three franchises as an undrafted free agent, he finally got on the field for the Kansas City Chiefs in December 2025.
Path to the league
Pole didn't play organized football until enrolling at Chabot College in 2021, where he quickly developed into a two-year starter, unanimous all-conference selection and All-Region 1 first-teamer. He transferred to Washington State for 2023 and 2024, starting 22 straight games at left tackle and capping his college career by not allowing a single sack in 2024, which earned him an East-West Shrine Bowl invite.
Career highlights
Pole's blend of size at 6-foot-5, 323 pounds and a remarkably clean pass-protection season as a senior made him a name to watch despite his inexperience with the sport. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in May 2025.
2025 season recap
Pole's rookie year included stops on three different rosters: waived by Kansas City in August, claimed by the New York Jets, waived again in October, and then re-signed to the Chiefs' practice squad before being promoted to the active roster in December. He made his NFL debut on December 7, 2025 after starter Wanya Morris was injured, playing 98 percent of Kansas City's offensive snaps and allowing just three pressures with one false start.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Esa Pole
- Bleacher Report: Esa Pole NFL Draft 2025 Scouting Report
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Washington State
- Hometown
- Hayward, CA, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
