George Kittle had a one-word reaction to the 49ers losing tight ends coach Brian Fleury to NFC West rival Seattle.
“Sad,” Kittle commented Sunday on social media in response to the Seahawks hiring Fleury as their new offensive coordinator to replace Klint Kubiak.
The 47-year-old Fleury has been with the 49ers since 2019 and has been in charge of the team’s tight ends since 2022.
Kittle has made the Pro Bowl seven times during his nine-year NFL career, including this past season, despite appearing in only 11 games due to hamstring and ankle injuries. He totaled 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns.
The 32-year-old Kittle then suffered a season-ending Achilles tear during San Francisco’s wild-card victory over the Eagles in January and underwent surgery.
The news of Fleury’s departure was first reported Sunday by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, and Kittle’s “sad” reaction came in response to a post by NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.
Fleury started with the 49ers as a defensive quality control assistant before concentrating on the team’s tight-end room the past four seasons.
Fleury, a quarterback in college at Maryland and Towson, now will head to Seattle to replace Kubiak, who was hired earlier this month by the Raiders as their new head coach, replacing Pete Carroll.
Las Vegas finished last season with a 3-14 record, and the team controls the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Raiders are expected to tab Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana, the undefeated national champions, with the top choice.
