The San Francisco 49ers are losing a key member of head coach Kyle Shanahan's staff to an NFC West rival.
On Sunday, it was reported that the Seattle Seahawks are hiring 49ers run game coordinator and tight ends coach Brian Fleury as their new offensive coordinator. He replaces Klint Kubiak, who departed to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The move did not go unnoticed by 49ers players.
RELATED 49ers lose key Kyle Shanahan assistant to NFC West rival Seahawks
All-Pro tight end George Kittle, who is recovering from the Achilles injury he suffered last month, reacted to the news with a simple, emotional response on social media.
"Sad," Kittle wrote in reply to Ian Rapoport's post announcing the hire.
Sad.
— George Kittle (@gkittle46) February 15, 2026
Fleury has worked closely with Kittle and the 49ers' tight ends since 2022, helping oversee the position group. Before that, he served as both an offensive and a defensive quality control coach, gaining experience on both sides of the ball and establishing himself as a trusted member of Shanahan's staff.
Now, Fleury heads to Seattle to lead a Super Bowl-champion offense featuring quarterback Sam Darnold, wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, and running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.
For the 49ers, the departure marks another change in Shanahan's coaching staff this offseason. Replacing a long-time assistant who has been with the organization since 2019 will not be easy.