Whatever the result is from the San Francisco 49ers' 2026 regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Rams way far away in Melbourne, Australia, there's little doubting head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad will be happy to return home.
Hopefully in one piece.
It's no secret Shanahan is unhappy about having to open up the season against an NFC West rival under such circumstances. But, it could have been a lot worse, particularly if the league's schedule makers opted to follow up an unprecedented international game with an equally brutal showdown a week later in Week 2.
You know, something like the Niners having to square off against the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks. That would've been awful.
Thankfully, those in charge of schedules opted to give Shanahan and Co. about as good a break as possible in Week 2 without actually giving San Francisco an actual break.
49ers can be happy to host lowly Dolphins in Week 2 after Australia trip
Sure, no matchup in the NFL is truly viewed as "easy," and no matter how bad an opponent appears to be on paper, even the worst pro teams are comprised of pro players.
That said, the 49ers' Week 2 opponent isn't exactly threatening: the Miami Dolphins, who are undergoing a massive teardown and rebuild in the wake of a familiar name's dismissal during the offseason, former head coach Mike McDaniel.
New head coach Jeff Hafley's squad not only is expected to win no more than four of five games this season, but it's also facing the second-toughest strength of schedule, based on last year's win/loss records.
Most likely, the Niners add to Miami's projected misery for 2026.
From San Francisco's vantage point, it'd have to feel considerably better about a probable "write it up as a win" game following such a lengthy road trip that exceeds all others to date.
It's certainly better than some of the late-season bouts Shanahan and Co. have to deal with.
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