The Washington Commanders quietly added a name to their practice squad that could end up looking a lot better than a typical late-August pickup.
After trimming down to their initial 53-man roster on Sunday and then bringing back 12 players they had just waived or released, Washington wrapped up its practice squad on Tuesday by signing five outside players. Cornerback Isaac Yiadom was the headliner because he can help right away, and Terell Smith also has a chance to contribute. But the most intriguing addition might be offensive tackle Esa Pole.
Pole is a 6-foot-7, 319-pound former Washington State lineman who entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025. His path has already been a little bumpy: Kansas City waived him at final cuts last summer, the New York Jets claimed him, then waived him in October before the Chiefs brought him back to their practice squad.
That second chance turned into a real opportunity. Pole was signed to Kansas City’s 53-man roster on Dec. 3, made his NFL debut at left tackle the next week, and ended up starting the final four games at the spot after the Chiefs’ starter was hurt on the first play.
Andy Reid was impressed by what he saw from the young tackle.
“Big guys are hard to find that can move like he does, and he had a decent training camp for us, and he’s a young guy,” Reid said last year, via Chiefs Wire.
Reid had even more praise after Pole’s first NFL outing.
“So after the game, I mentioned I was proud of him because he had no reps in practice for the most part and then just a couple of fill-in things. I thought he did a nice job for what he was asked to do,” said Reid.
“We just picked him back up here, and he again had limited reps and jumps, and I mean, he’s a rookie.” He jumped in and did some pretty good things against what I think is a pretty good football player.”
Pole had even worked with the Chiefs’ first-team offense during OTAs, which makes his release during final cuts earlier this week a surprise. Kansas City moved on without him, but Washington may have just picked up a player with real upside.
At minimum, Pole gives the Commanders a young tackle with game experience already on his resume. If Brandon Coleman goes down, Washington could turn to Pole in a pinch. And if Laremy Tunsil comes back later this year, Pole could settle in as a future swing tackle, which would let Coleman move back inside.
He still has plenty to prove. Pole didn’t start playing organized football until his first year at Chabot College in 2021, after spending time as a basketball player. That background shows up in the way he moves, and it could make him a fit for new offensive coordinator David Blough’s zone-blocking scheme.
Even if he never gets into a game for Washington, the Commanders have enough reason to see this as a worthwhile bet.
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