The San Francisco 49ers are heading into a new chapter without tight ends coach Brian Fleury, and George Kittle is feeling it. After four years of working side-by-side, Fleury is heading north to take over as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks - a major move that not only shakes up the 49ers’ coaching staff but also adds an intriguing wrinkle to the NFC West rivalry.
Fleury steps into the role vacated by Klint Kubiak, who left Seattle to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX victory. This marks Fleury’s first shot at running an NFL offense, capping off a coaching journey that’s taken him through various assistant roles since 2013.
Kittle, never one to hide how he feels, took to social media with a one-word reaction that said it all: “Sad.” It’s a fitting response from a player who’s thrived under Fleury’s guidance.
Since 2020, the two have built a strong rapport, and the results speak for themselves. Kittle earned All-Pro honors in three of the four seasons they worked together - including a first-team nod in 2023 - and made the Pro Bowl each year.
Fleury’s impact on Kittle and the tight end room was clear, but his rise through the 49ers’ coaching ranks also tells a story of adaptability and growth. He joined the team in 2019 as a defensive quality control coach before flipping to the offensive side in 2020. By 2022, he was promoted to tight ends coach, and in 2025, he took on additional responsibilities as the run game coordinator.
Now, he’s taking on a much bigger role in Seattle - and it comes with its share of questions.
The Seahawks, fresh off a championship run, are betting on continuity by hiring someone familiar with their offensive system. Fleury and Kubiak worked together in San Francisco in 2023, so there’s a shared language and philosophy in place.
But there’s also a leap of faith happening here. Fleury has never called plays at the NFL level, and that’s where the uncertainty lies.
Some analysts are already raising eyebrows. The concern isn’t about Fleury’s football IQ - he’s clearly earned respect within coaching circles - but rather about the challenge of stepping into the OC role for a team with Super Bowl expectations. The question being asked: Is this a risk the Seahawks can afford to take?
Critics have pointed to Seattle’s decision as a gamble, suggesting that while Fleury may be a good fit culturally and schematically, the lack of play-calling experience is a real unknown. And in a league where offensive coordinators are often tasked with making split-second decisions that swing games, that unknown carries weight.
There’s also been some pushback on Fleury’s track record as a run game coordinator. While he held that title in 2025, the 49ers’ ground attack didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet. Still, it’s worth noting that coaching success isn’t always linear - and sometimes, the best coordinators emerge from roles where they weren’t necessarily the star of the show.
Seattle did explore internal options to replace Kubiak, but ultimately chose to go with Fleury. That decision could pay off big if his familiarity with the system translates into seamless execution. Or it could prove to be a learning curve for a team that just raised the Lombardi Trophy.
As for the 49ers, they’ll now be tasked with finding someone who can keep the tight end room - and Kittle in particular - operating at an elite level. Fleury’s departure marks the end of a productive era for one of the league’s best tight ends, and while Kittle’s “Sad” post may have been brief, it captured what a lot of Niners fans are likely feeling.
The NFC West just got a little more interesting.