Head coach Kyle Shanahan still isn't at all a fan of the San Francisco 49ers kicking off the 2026 regular season in Melbourne, Australia.
And he certainly isn't a fan of the game being against a chief NFC West rival, the Los Angeles Rams.
Shanahan already went on record criticizing the NFL for scheduling the Niners in such a way, earning a subtle-but-direct rebuke from league commissioner Roger Goodell in response. And, like it or not, there's little San Francisco can do but go along with the tall ask.
Yet Shanahan doesn't have to like it, and it sounds as if he's not going to change his tune anytime soon either.
Kyle Shanahan on Australia trip: 'That's not like a small flight... that stuff adds up'
Shanahan spoke with former KNBR 680 show host Tom Tolbert on his own Tom Tolbert Show recently, and the conversation about the Week 1 opener down under couldn't be avoided, understandably so.
Needless to say, Shanahan continued to highlight the tough demands of the trip.
"We only get three close fights, whether it's Seattle, Arizona, and L.A.," Shanahan pointed out. "So to get one of those taken away is tough, just when you travel a lot—especially when it's 19 hours away on an airplane. That's not like a small flight. So, that stuff adds up."
Indeed, the 49ers are setting a new NFL record for mileage traveled on any given season in 2026.
Additionally, the Niners will be denied taking over the Rams' home venue, SoFI Stadium, which has been something of a yearly tradition, and Shanahan didn't hesitate to call that out either.
"I love our fans taking over SoFi," Shanahan continued. "That's awesome. That's a cool thing. And I get why the Rams don't want that. So it is what it is."
While Shanahan acknowledged the unique opportunity to play somewhere no NFL game has been played yet, as well as why it's beneficial to expand the game globally, he also recognized the extra strain and burden it can put on teams involved.
Now, specifically, his own team.
"When it comes to being responsible for your team and what's good for a team, no, that's going to bother you," Shanahan concluded.
Hat tip to David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone for the find and transcription.
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