49ers and Rams adopt contrasting travel strategies for historic NFL road trip to Australia
The San Francisco 49ers will fly to Melbourne a week before their game against the Los Angeles Rams, while the Rams plan to arrive less than 24 hours before kickoff, highlighting differing approaches to the league's longest road trip.
San Francisco and Los Angeles are set to face each other in Melbourne, marking the NFL's longest road trip to date. The 49ers departed on a 16-hour flight on Monday, giving the team more than seven days to acclimate to the local time zone before the Thursday night contest.
In contrast, the Rams intend to leave on Wednesday, September 9, arriving in Australia less than 24 hours before the 8:35 p.m. Eastern kickoff, which corresponds to 10:35 a.m. on Friday in Melbourne.
Rams head coach Sean McVay declined to comment on the travel schedule, but the timing aligns with the team's recent practice of minimizing pre-game overseas stays. Last season, the Rams arrived in London the day before playing the Jacksonville Jaguars and won decisively.
The NFL requires teams to include a travel buffer sufficient to accommodate potential delays, and the Rams' plan appears to be at the minimum allowed. League officials see such short-turnaround trips as a test of the feasibility of more frequent international games without compromising competitive balance.