Kyle Shanahan Lobs Serious Accusation At Rams Over Schedule

The Los Angeles Rams' rivalry with the San Francisco 49ers remains heated

Sep 22, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan meet on the field following the game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams are set to open their 2026 season opener in Melbourne, Australia against their rival, the San Francisco 49ers.

This contest will count as a Rams home game, meaning that unless the Rams host the 49ers in the playoffs, they will not play each other at SoFi Stadium this season. It's now being alledged, with strong evidence that the Rams lobbied the league to have the 49ers as their opponent in Australia. Here's the latest.

Shanahan Makes His Claim

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made the claim before diving into his persepctive on the situation

“I know for a fact they did, that’s why it’s so bothersome," stated Shanahan to Pro Football Talk via Ari Meirov. "Hopefully, the league will do right and let us play the Rams in Mexico since we got to go out of the country twice and they requested us. I’m requesting them in Mexico. Not that it gives us an advantage, it’s just fair to make them go out of the country twice, too.”

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; NBC Sports analyst Kyle Shanahan prior to the New England Patriots game against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The 49ers have played in Mexico before, defeating the Arizona Cardinals at the legendary Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Does Shanahan Have a Point?

He does. There's no doubt that the 49ers fanbase has a stronghold on Los Angeles, as do the Raiders. While the Rams did have success during their first stint in Southern California, their first Super Bowl victory did not occur until the team moved to St. Louis, and while the Rams have had championship success since returning, these last ten years do not make up for two decades of absence, especially when the Rams left Los Angeles during the tail end of the 49ers' Golden Dynasty.

Nov 29, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay (left) talks with San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan before the game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Rams should play the 49ers in Mexico. The 49ers have played there before, and the Rams were supposed to in 2018 before weather forced the game to be played at the LA Coliseum. Fun fact, that contest was the legendary Rams-Chiefs Monday Night contest in which the Rams pulled out a 54-51 win.

For me, I don't understand why the Rams want to do this. This doesn't change a thing. The 49ers are still going to be around next season, and the best way to quiet their fans is to continuously beat them live, defending home territory. Now the Rams are giving their rivals a chance to be the first team to win a football game in Australia, opening up a closed-off market to a West Coast brand.