Why the Rams Are Taking an Unconventional Travel Approach for Week 1 in Australia

As the Los Angeles Rams get ready for their Week 1 matchup in Australia against the San Francisco 49ers, their travel plans for Melbourne have come under question. On Wednesday, over a week before the game, the 49ers are leaving for Australia to get ready for the game. However, while it hasn’t been confirmed, it has been implied and reported that the Rams won’t leave until much closer to the game.

Rams are not leaving for Australia until next Wednesday, a full week after the 49ers. https://t.co/qwIjdTqsmK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 2, 2026

Early in August, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the Rams would be arriving the day before the game and flying out right after.

“The Rams actually had people from their organization fly from Los Angeles to Melbourne and back, tracking when and how much they felt the effects of the jet lag,” reported Graziano. “They came to the conclusion that the best way to handle it would be to prepare at home, fly as close to the game as possible, let adrenaline carry them through the game, and then fly right home and rest up on the back end.”

It is certainly an unconventional approach, especially with the 49ers leaving over a week before the start of the game. If the 49ers come out playing sharp next week or the Rams come out sluggish, the approach will certainly be criticized. However, the Rams seem to have done their due diligence throughout the offseason by sending people to Australia to see how the body reacted.

While McVay hasn’t confirmed the team’s travel plans with the media, those plans have been finalized for quite some time. McVay said in late July that it would be a similar approach and the goal was to keep the players in as close to a rhythm and routine as possible.

Rams Believe Staying in Their Routine Is the Best Approach

That’s why the quick approach also shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. This is how the Rams have traveled in the past. During long East Coast trips, the Rams have arrived the day before the game. Last year when the Rams traveled to London, they took a similar approach. The Rams remained in Baltimore, which is where they played the week prior. They left Baltimore for London on Friday night and arrived on Saturday, the day before the game.

Last season, the London game against the Jacksonville Jaguars was arguably the best that the team played all year. The Rams came out and scored two first-quarter touchdowns on their way to a 35-7 win.

The time difference and travel distance are certainly much greater from Los Angeles to Melbourne than from Baltimore to London. In fact, the travel time is about twice as long. At the same time, the Rams’ travel plans will allow the players to stick to a travel schedule that they are used to.

On Sunday, McVay said that he hadn’t addressed the players on the travel plans for Australia and noted that he would probably do so the week of the game.

“I think they have a loose idea of what we're doing, but I do still think it is appropriate in terms of the trajectory,” said McVay. “I want to be able to talk to them about it, but we're leaving later than most people would probably expect.”

Why the Rams’ Australia Travel Strategy Could Work

While it might be conventional to believe that the 49ers would benefit from arriving early, scientists seem to disagree. When the Rams are set to play next Thursday, their players’ body clocks will believe it’s 5:30 in the afternoon. By contrast, the 49ers’ players’ body clocks will be adjusted to the local Melbourne time of 10:30 a.m.

In an interview with Yahoo Sports, one sleep specialist actually favors the Rams’ approach. “What the Rams are essentially doing is saying to their players, 'Look, just keep being athletically awesome at 6 p.m. You're going to open your eyes one day, and the sun's going to be in a weird part of the sky, but we're banking on it taking your brain a couple days to figure out what the hell's going on,” said sleep specialist W. Christopher Winter.

There are pros and cons to both teams’ approaches. The key for the Rams will be for the players to be able to bank sleep on the flight over. Additionally, the 49ers can mitigate the body clock disadvantage by practicing early in the day when the game will be played.

Rams Have a Strong Track Record With International Travel

The Rams and McVay will have the benefit of experience with international travel. Since McVay took over in 2017, the Rams have played three international games in London. The Rams are 3-0 in those games and have outscored their opponents 92-17.

It will be important for the Rams to get their approach right as a win against the 49ers in Week 1 will set the tone for the season. Traveling to Australia so close to kickoff may seem like a risky approach, but the Rams have done their homework. If they come out sharp against the 49ers, McVay will look like the smartest person in the room.

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