Roger Goodell dismisses 49ers coach's concerns about playing in Australia, says it's part of long-term plan

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell dismissed concerns that San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had about playing in Australia in Week 1.

The 49ers are playing their first game of the 2026 season in Melbourne, Australia, against the Los Angeles Rams, and Shanahan told reporters during the league’s owners meetings last month he did not see any benefit to it. 

Shanahan jokingly said it was his goal to play a game 19 to 20 hours away to start the season.

Goodell said he will send Shanahan an app that will help with jet lag.

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"You know I have an app for him, which I’m going to send to him because my wife hooked me up with an app. And I got to tell you, I feel great. I have not felt any jet lag at all. I thought it was a relatively easy trip," Goodell told reporters in Australia Friday.

Goodell called Shanahan an enthusiastic coach and mentioned that coaches' priorities solely lie with winning football games. He said the NFL is focused on making it a great experience for everyone.

"Coaches have a focus on winning, that’s their No. 1 job. And so Coach Shanahan is enthusiastic and a great football coach but also someone who truly understands the importance of expanding our game globally. But his job is to win, his job is to play, and I always like to say coaches like to play at 1 and 4 and don’t get in the way of that," Goodell said.

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"We’re going to make it a great experience for the team. That’s one of the things we focus on, everybody here and so many others have focused on, and make it a great experience for everyone, the team included. When they go back, they got to make sure they are able to continue the competitiveness because this game is real, this counts, and they’ll go on to Week 2 as soon as they leave here."

Goodell also made it clear that the 49ers-Rams game in Australia is not a one-off event but the beginning of an investment into the market.

"There is no question that we are going to be playing here again. Our view is that we are coming here for the long term. We don’t come as a one-off. This isn’t a circus. This is an investment in this market, and we believe that this is long term and will be great for the NFL long term," Goodell said.

Shanahan and the other 31 head coaches in the NFL might not love the idea of playing a game that requires a 19- to 20-hour flight, but they have little say in the matter. While Shanahan might not see a "pro" to having to play overseas, he does think it’s cool to see the NFL globally.

"I don't see any pro," Shanahan said. "It's cool for the league to play globally. I think that's awesome. But as far as the team doing it, no, there's not much benefit to it. Sometimes it's nice to get a bye week after, but doesn't happen in Week 1."

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