49ers news: All 2020 NFL games will be played inside U.S.

The San Francisco 49ers won’t have to worry about traveling outside the U.S. for any games in 2020, as the league announced all games will be domestic this season.

There will be no outside-the-U.S. travel for the San Francisco 49ers in 2020.

In fact, there won’t be any international game travel for any team in the NFL this upcoming season.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic backdrop, the league confirmed on Monday speculation all regular-season games this season would be played domestically, cutting out any would-be contests in London, England or Mexico City, Mexico.

From the press release:

"The National Football League announced today that it will schedule all 2020 games in the United States in order for the entire season to be played in NFL teams’ stadia under consistent protocols focused on the well-being of players, personnel and fans."

As pointed out by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, there was a possibility the Niners would have played a “road” game against their NFC West division rivals, the Arizona Cardinals, in Mexico City this year:

The #NFL announced today there will be no 2020 games scheduled for outside the United States. There was a chance the #49ers would have played in Mexico City against the #AZCardinals, who were originally set to play there in a home game.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) May 4, 2020

That won’t happen now, according to the report.

The last time San Francisco played an international game was in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2013. San Francisco won that game at Wembley Stadium 42-10. The last time the Niners played in Mexico City was back in 2005 against the Cardinals when Arizona won 31-14.

The NFL has long since attempted to spread its influence internationally, increasing the scope of games played both in the United Kingdom and in Mexico. Yet concerns over both players and fans’ health, at least internationally, has temporarily put a stop to any such games.

It seems like a strong possibility, however, the league revisits the idea of opening back up its international series in 2021, depending on how the proverbial dust settles from the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, professional football is the only remaining major American sport not delayed by the coronavirus, although that could easily change in the coming weeks and months.

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For now, the 2020 schedule appears to be moving forward as planned.