The Seattle Seahawks had to replace former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak this offseason. Kubiak took the head coach position with the Las Vegas Raiders. To take his place, the team hired former San Francisco 49ers run game coordinator Brian Fleury.
The hire seems set up for success. Fleury is likely to have a run-pass balance, just as Kubiak did, but with the past experience of being a defensive coach before he works on the offensive side. He is also a clear communicator, so there will be no issues there.
If not for one forgotten Seahawks player, though, Fleury might not have taken the job. Tight end Eric Saubert, best remembered for catching the game-winning 2-point conversion in Week 16 against the Los Angeles 49ers, once played for the 49ers, and he worked closely with Fleury. Saubert raving about how well-run Seattle was helped grease the wheels to get Fleury to be the new OC.
Eric Saubert might help the Seattle Seahawks adjust quickly to new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury
But just because Fleury is now in Seattle, too, doesn't suddenly mean that Saubert is going to get a lot more targets in the passing game. The tight end's importance might go much further than how well he catches or blocks. He could be an adjunct coach.
Saubert can help show other players what Fleury expects from certain alignments and the blocking scheme overall. He has proven to be well-liked by fellow players, and the Seahawks obviously appreciate the tight end as well. Seattle gave Saubert another season on his contract in December, so he is signed through 2026.
The tight end will also turn 32 years old during the offseason. He likely isn't going to be an NFL player for much longer, but he might find a different role for the Seattle Seahawks. Going from player to assistant coach could easily be part of his future.
Eric Saubert certainly has experience working in different systems. The Seahawks are his eighth team since 2017. He has just 51 catches in that time, and with the assumed increase in production by Elijah Arroyo in his second season, Saubert is unlikely to ever be much higher on Seattle's depth chart than TE3 after Arroyo and TE1 A.J. Barner.
Even that could serve Saubert well. His presenceon the sidelines should help the communication with the players around him. And then maybe, he will find his way onto the field and be productive in the team's biggest moments of the season.