Quarterback Brock Purdy and head coach Kyle Shanahan aren't exactly on the same page when it comes to reflecting on the San Francisco 49ers' upcoming regular-season road trip to Melbourne, Australia, to face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1.
At least not publicly.
Whereas Shanahan hasn't minced words about his feelings on the season opener, saying he didn't "see any pro" in opening up the 2026 campaign down under, Purdy is at least doing his best to remain optimistic about the whole experience.
Speaking at the 2026 Dwight Clark Legacy Series event during the week, the Niners quarterback was asked about the trip to Australia.
Unlike Shanahan's snark, Purdy responded far more enthusiastically.
Brock Purdy says 49ers are 'excited' about Australia trip
Acknowledging the 16-hour flight to Melbourne is awfully long, Purdy nevertheless admitted a sense of excitement about expanding the NFL to new horizons where it hasn't gone before.
"Obviously, it is far," Purdy said. "But all the guys are excited, in terms of going and playing an NFL game in Australia. It's never been done before."
With Australia being one of two international games this season, Purdy and the 49ers are also setting a new NFL record for miles traveled—nearly 38,000 on the year's campaign.
If Purdy ultimately feels disgruntled with having to travel so much, he's hiding it well and is looking at the bigger picture, including spreading San Francisco's reach to an entirely new fanbase.
"Start off the season strong, with a win in Australia," Purdy continued in describing the Niners' objective. "Create more fans across the world, some more Faithful. So, it's going to be fun."
This is the right thing to say as the face of the franchise, of course, although no one would hold it against Purdy if he came out and said it wasn't his or the team's preference to endure such a challenge right out of the gate.
That doesn't seem to be his personality, though. So, even if Purdy isn't overly thrilled about the excessive travel, he's at least trying to find whatever benefits there are to it regardless.
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