The connections between the 49ers and Dolphins run deep and that includes George Kittle’s relationship with Miami tight ends coach Jon Embree.
Embree was Kittle’s first NFL position coach in when the 49ers drafted the All-Pro tight end in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The two still communicate to this day as coach and player, but also as friends.
“I’ll get a random coaching point from him at 5 a.m. our time, 8 a.m. Miami time that says, ‘Your footwork was trash last week,’” Kittle shared on Thursday. “‘You need to fix your stance. You got to stand like this.’ And I always appreciate those coaching points.”
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This is not normal protocol in the NFL where knowledge can be seen as power and keeping secrets from opposing teams is the expectation. Coach Kyle Shanahan, however, understands the relationship between the two and appreciates anyone helping his players improve.
“If they were in our own division, I’d say yes,” Shanahan joked when asked if the communication was a form of tampering. “I’d try to get back at them. But no, I love Jon sending those texts. Jon’s an awesome dude, a hell of a coach and that’s his style. He’s going to ride guys like that. I’ve got no problem with him riding our guys if it helps him.”
Kittle was not always an All-Pro pass-catching tight end with only 48 receptions for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns over his four years at Iowa. Once in the Bay Area, Embree helped develop Kittle into the dominant force on offense that is seen today.
“Coach Embree did a great job showing me the ropes, throwing me a life vest because I was thrown out to sea starting as a rookie,” Kittle said. “He said a lot of awesome things that I still do to this day [like] not running out of bounds.”
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At the end of the 2017 season Kittle quickly became the favorite target of now-Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. In Week 16, the final game of the season, Kittle posted his first 100-yard receiving game, catching four of his six targets.
“He helped me establish my mindset that allowed me to be the player I and today,” Kittle said. “I owe a ton of my success to John Embree. He’s basically my dad at the NFL, if you take my dad out of it. Close friends, we always talk throughout the season.”
On December 8, 2024 Kittle registered his 19th 100-yard game when he caught all six of his targets for 151 yards in the 49ers' win over the Chicago Bears. The tight end ranks third in franchise history in such games behind only Hall of Famers Terrell Owens (25) and Jerry Rice (66).