49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan gives strong take on starting season in Australia: 'I don't see any pro'

Once again, the NFL’s opening play finds 2 teams overseas, and 1 of the caput coaches progressive doesn’t similar it. 

Much similar the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers past play successful São Paulo, Brazil, the NFL has scheduled part rivals, the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, to instrumentality portion successful the first-ever crippled successful Australia. 

The 49ers and Rams volition footwear disconnected astatine 10:35 a.m. section clip successful Melbourne connected Sept. 11, which volition beryllium 8:35 p.m. ET connected Sept. 10 successful the United States. 

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San Francisco 49ers caput manager Kyle Shanahan calls a play during the crippled against the Jacksonville Jaguars astatine Levi’s Stadium successful Santa Clara, California, connected Sept. 28, 2025. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

49ers caput manager Kyle Shanahan, who was contiguous astatine the NFL owners meetings successful Phoenix connected Monday, was asked by reporters his thoughts astir traveling to Australia, which is astir a 14-hour flight, to statesman his team’s season. 

"I don’t spot immoderate pro," helium said, bluntly. 

Shanahan admitted it being "cool for the league to play globally," adjacent calling it "awesome" that planetary fans get to acquisition American shot successful their countries. 

RAMS, 49ERS TO MEET IN AUSTRALIA FOR HISTORIC NFL GAME AS LEAGUE REVEALS DATE AND TIME

However, arsenic a manager who is focused connected his team’s wellness and performance, Shanahan doesn’t similar the thought of starting the play overseas aft a grueling grooming campy that determines his roster.

"But arsenic acold arsenic the squad doing it, no, there’s not overmuch payment to it. Sometimes it’s bully to get a bye week after, but doesn’t hap successful Week 1."

As for the clip difference, Shanahan was sarcastic with his effect to the San Francisco Chronicle.

San Francisco 49ers caput manager Kyle Shanahan yells towards an authoritative during the archetypal fractional of an NFL shot crippled against the Green Bay Packers connected Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024 successful Green Bay, Wis. (Matt Ludtke/AP Photo)

"Oh, truthful fired up. So, we’re going backmost successful clip oregon into the future? I deliberation we summation a time oregon suffer a day? Not definite which 1 yet, but it is what it is. We’ll woody with it."

Knowing the NFL isn’t going to alteration its caput here, Shanahan and the 49ers person nary prime but to woody with the cards they person to commencement the year. But GM John Lynch noted the 49ers volition get accustomed to Australia’s clip quality and everything other that comes with an planetary crippled by getting determination days earlier kickoff. 

Now, it’s not uncommon for games to beryllium played overseas astatine times to accommodate those fans backmost home. But playing a shot crippled astatine 10:35 a.m. tin travel with its challenges, arsenic games are usually played astatine night. 

Shanahan besides noted being "fired up" astir having different planetary crippled during the 2026 season, though it’s chartless if sarcasm came into play here. 

The 49ers volition besides beryllium progressive successful the NFL’s Mexico City crippled successful December. An hostile has not yet been named for the matchup, but it volition beryllium revealed successful May erstwhile each team’s docket comes out. 

San Francisco 49ers caput manager Kyle Shanahan walks connected the tract earlier an NFL shot crippled against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, successful Minneapolis.  (Abbie Parr/AP Photo)

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In total, the NFL volition play a grounds 9 planetary games during the 2026 season, arsenic the league continues to grow its planetary reach. There volition beryllium 3 games successful London, portion Melbourne, Mexico City, Paris, Munich, Rio de Janeiro, and Madrid volition besides person NFL contests. 

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