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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell dismissed concerns 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 that he saw no upside 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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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after the Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on February 8, 2026. (Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“You know I have an app for him that I’m going to send to him because my wife hooked me up with an app. And I have to tell you, I’m feeling great. I haven’t felt any jet lag at all. I thought it was a pretty easy ride,” Goodell told reporters in Australia on Friday.
Goodell called Shanahan an enthusiastic coach and mentioned that coaches’ priorities are all about winning football games. He said the NFL is focused on making it a great experience for everyone.
“Coaches are focused on winning, that’s their No. 1 job. And so Coach Shanahan is enthusiastic and a great football coach, but also someone who really 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 that coaches like to play on the 1 and 4 and not get in the way of that,” he says.
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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 12, 2025. (Chris O’Meara/AP)
“We’re going to make it a great experience for the team. That’s one of the things that we’re focused on, everyone here and so many others have focused on, and make it a great experience for everyone, the team included. When they go back, they’ve got to make sure they’re able to continue to be competitive because this game is real, this is what counts, and they’re going to go into 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 in the market.
“There’s no question that we’re going to play here again. Our view is that we’re going to be here for the long term. We’re not coming as a one-off. This is not a circus. This is an investment in this market and we believe this is long-term and will be great for the NFL long-term,” Goodell said.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attends the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl game between the AFC and the NFC at Moscone Center South in San Francisco on February 3, 2026. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Shanahan and the other 31 NFL head coaches may 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 may not see a “pro” needing to play overseas, he thinks it’s cool to watch the NFL globally.
“I don’t see any pro,” Shanahan said. “It’s cool for the league to play globally. I think it’s great. But as far as the team that does it, no, there’s not a huge advantage to it. Sometimes it’s nice to get a bye the week after, but it doesn’t happen in Week 1.”
