Arrowhead Pride
Welcome back to the Arrowhead Pride Mailbag! Each week, watch for your opportunity to submit your Kansas City Chiefs questions in The Feed, which is found on AP’s home page. The Chiefs’ season of self-inflicted wounds (and unfortunate injury luck) continued in Sunday’s 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans.
With Kansas City now needing a heavy dose of luck to make the playoffs, let’s see what is on our readers’ minds.
How could the Chiefs cut Esa Pole after watching him all through training camp? Did they not pick up on the fact that he can play?
Tackle Esa Pole’s performance on Sunday night was a highlight from one of the season’s most disappointing Kansas City games. It is also important to remember that the Chiefs were not the only team to pass on Pole — who did not play high school football and played only two seasons above the junior college level.
Pole went undrafted in April, despite dozens of linemen hearing their names called. Although the Jets snagged him off waivers from the Chiefs at the final cutdown, he went unclaimed when New York cut him two months later. For all of November, Pole was on Kansas City’s practice squad and eligible to sign with any team at any time — provided that team was not scheduled to play the Chiefs within six days.
So it is safe to say that in general, the league didn’t believe in Pole, either.
Still, he had an incredible debut lined up against defensive end Danielle Hunter, who is one of the game’s best pass rushers. One great game, however, is not a sufficient sample. Earlier in the season, we were high on Jaylon Moore’s performance filling in for left tackle Josh Simmons on short notice against the Detroit Lions‘ defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. After the Washington Commanders veteran defensive coaching staff clearly did some heavy film work on Moore ahead of Week 8, his heroics have largely been forgotten.
Pole should get Sunday’s start at left tackle against the Los Angeles Chargers. His bigger test will be maintaining a high level of play after game film is available — and Los Angeles defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has had a chance to plan for him.
Assuming the Chiefs miss the playoffs, Andy Reid enters the season next year on the hot seat. Do you agree?
We have covered my thoughts on head coach Andy Reid several times in the last few weeks — including my opinion that he needs to add some offensive voices from outside of his coaching tree to the staff. But however Reid’s time in Kansas City should end, it will almost assuredly come through retirement (possibly negotiated behind the scenes) rather than a public firing.
When he does retire, I expect the news will essentially come out of nowhere; he doesn’t seem like the type of person who wants a farewell-tour final season. I don’t think anyone...
