49ers schedule
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
The NFL denied a 49ers schedule request, coach Kyle Shanahan said before the Week 1 game.
The opener in Melbourne leaves players five days before their first home practice.
Background
The 49ers open the 2026 season against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday, Sept. 10. Coach Kyle Shanahan said the NFL turned down a schedule request the team made, and he described the early schedule as tumultuous. After returning from Australia on Friday, coaches must be ready by Monday for game-planning and film, while players don't practice until Wednesday. The team then plays three straight games in Santa Clara, with a Week 5 game on the West Coast against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks.
How it unfolded
- Sep 9, 2026Kyle Shanahan reveals the NFL denied the 49ers' schedule request, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
- Sep 10, 2026The 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 in Melbourne, Australia, at 5:35 p.m. PT.
- Sep 11, 2026San Francisco returns from Australia on Friday; players' first home practice comes the following Wednesday.
Who’s saying what
- Coach
- Shanahan said of the gap between games, "You hope for as many days off between the two as you can have," while calling the early schedule tumultuous.
Still unverified
The specific nature of the 49ers' denied schedule request is not stated in the material.