The San Francisco 49ers certainly aren’t thrilled about the fact they have to play Week 1 in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams, especially when that robs them of a chance for Niners fans to take over SoFi Stadium.
But the NFL also gave the Rams a huge rest advantage after that game.
As David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard noted on social media, the Niners play Week 2 on Sunday afternoon against the Miami Dolphins, while the Rams get the Monday night game the following day, which gives them nearly 30 more hours of rest than San Francisco:
The 49ers did not get an extra day of rest post-Australia. They didn’t even get the Sunday night game for a few more hours.
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 15, 2026
Meanwhile, the NFL gave the Rams Monday Night Football in Week 2 for an extra 28 hours of recovery time
That’s certainly not ideal, especially since the 49ers may very well be in a tight NFC West race with the Rams. Every game is going to matter, and that means every disparity in rest and every factor that may not seem like a huge deal could end up meaning everything at the end of the season.
The NFL gave the Rams a pretty easy Week 2 matchup, since they will face the New York Giants at home. That’s a game Los Angeles should win, barring something unforeseen, but then the Rams have a tough three-week stretch as they go on the road to play the Denver Broncos and the Philadelphia Eagles in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively.
Every team has its rough stretches, though. The Niners have a fairly soft schedule after Week 1 since they face the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals at home in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively. Then they have a very rough stretch toward the end of the season by facing the Rams in Week 14, the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15, the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16, and the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17.
All of San Francisco’s matchups against the Rams and Seattle Seahawks are going to be huge. Those three teams were all hanging with one another last season, and it would not be surprising if it’s another close race.
Many think the Rams and Seahawks are ahead of the 49ers right now, and that may be so, but if the Niners can stay healthier than they did last year, then the talent disparity may not be as vast as people think.
No schedule is ever going to be completely fair, but it doesn’t feel totally right that the Rams get a rest advantage after Week 1.
Let’s just hope it doesn’t come back to bite San Francisco in the end.
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