49ers coach Kyle Shanahan not enthused about opening 2026 season in Australia: 'We'll deal with it'
Local time in Melbourne, Australia, is 15 hours ahead of the U. S. Eastern time zone.
So kickoff for the 49ers-Rams game will be at 10:35 a. m local time on Friday, Sept. 11.
The San Francisco 49ers are scheduled to begin their 2026 season in Melbourne, Australia, against the Los Angeles Rams. While that may be exciting for growing the NFL’s international footprint, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t enthusiastic about having to travel so far for his team’s opening game. “I don't see any pro,” Shanahan told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix on Monday.
“It's cool for the league to play globally. I think that's awesome,” he added. “But as far as the team doing it, no, there's not much benefit to it.
Sometimes it's nice to get a bye week after, but doesn't happen in Week 1. " #49ers coach Kyle Shanahan not exactly enthused about the long trip to Australia to open the season: "I don't see any pro. It's cool for the league to play globally.