The Real Reason the 49ers Arrived in Australia a Week Early

It goes beyond just science.

Aug 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan watches the action in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Flying to Australia one week before playing the Los Angeles Rams was a smart move by the San Francisco 49ers.

It makes too much sense for them to get as acclimated as possible to the 17-hour time change and any weather conditions. Plus, it's backed by their science team.

“I would love to just show up the day before and just play, but I'm not the best when it comes to the science and everything on that stuff," said Kyle Shanahan. "So, you ask people who've done it a number of times, you ask people who study it, you take all their opinions in. We've been strongly recommended to."

Approaching Week 1 like this will benefit the 49ers greatly. It will help them increase their chances of beating the Rams. However, science aside, there is another reason the 49ers flew to Australia a week early.

It's a must-win game. This is indisputable, and the 49ers are treating it as such. Look at how proper, careful, and meticulous they are with everything for this game.

They didn't go all that way to Australia on a 16-plus-hour flight to lose. Losing would feel like they got hit with the might of Thor's hammer.

It would be like losing two games. That's the reality of these international games, where a team has to travel insanely far, excluding Mexico City.

Arriving in Australia a week earlier is the equivalent of a Super Bowl matchup. The 49ers are all too familiar with that, having arrived in Miami and Las Vegas one week before the big game.

They're taking a similar approach with those games as with this one. Calling this the 49ers' "Super Bowl" isn't hyperbolic, nor is it a slight.

If anything, it shows how much they care. That should be commended and applauded. Meanwhile, the Rams are going to slump in their 24 hours before.

Talk about living on the wild side. I guess the Rams are trying to mirror the vast wildlife that Australia has by treating this Week 1 matchup as such.

In any case, the 49ers are absolutely treating this like a must-win game. The Rams are not. Now, maybe their own science team thinks it's fine to arrive that late.

But given how the 49ers have approached this game, it's undeniable how much they care. They're not leaving anything to chance and are giving themselves as much of an advantage as possible.

This is the right move for them, and it'll likely pay off with a win.