The San Francisco 49ers are set to open next season down under in Australia. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the Niners starting their season in Melbourne, and his snarky response tells you everything you need to know about how he feels.
"Oh, so fired up," Shanahan sarcastically said. "That was our goal: to go 19 hours away to play a game, so... I think we're going back in time or into the future. I think we gained a day or lose a day, I'm not really sure. But, it is what it is, we'll deal with it."
Here was Kyle Shanahan talking about the #49ers trip to Australia and not being too thrilled about the travel. pic.twitter.com/1wAQ8zC1xf
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) March 30, 2026
Clearly, there was some sarcasm in that response but that's to be expected from a coach with a reputation for being acerbic with the media.
When pressed if there was any sort of positive for the Niners playing in Australia, Shanahan got more serious and said, "No, not all. I don’t see any pro. I mean, it’s cool for the league. … As far as for the team doing it, there’s not much. Sometimes it’s nice to have a bye week after it, but that doesn’t happen Week 1."
It's a blunt, but probably true assessment.
Honestly, the 49ers would probably just be content to come back from Melbourne relatively healthy even if they lose because that long flight could make players more susceptible to fatigue and injury.
It's unfortunate the game is against the Los Angeles Rams, a bitter NFC West rival. That game could end up having pretty massive playoff implications later on in the season, so the Niners will obviously be trying to win while also trying to take health into consideration.
That's not the only international game the 49ers will play next season. San Francisco will also return to Mexico City, although the date and opponent for that game has yet to be announced.
Shanahan sounded less than thrilled about that one too, saying, "I think there's eight international games [next season], we got two of them. So, we're fired up about that."
Gotta love that classic Shanahan snark.
This is not the first time the 49ers have been screwed by NFL schedulers. The Niners were handed no favors last season with how the NFL scheduled its Week 18 and playoff games. San Francisco was playing on short rest in multiple contests when it was already insanely banged up as it is.
Let's hope the Niners can stay healthy next season, but no matter what, Shanahan is clearly going to be ticked at the insane travel schedule.