Overview
- Late May reports show the 49ers will open 2026 in Melbourne against the Rams and play the Vikings in Mexico City later in the season, and the team has made specific mitigation plans.
- For Australia the team intends to leave about nine days before the game so it can arrive roughly seven days early to adjust to the time change and long flight.
- For Mexico City the 49ers plan altitude preparation at the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs and are likely to route from Dallas to Colorado Springs before flying to Mexico City.
- The team has scheduled joint preseason practices with the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers as part of its preparation, with Shanahan saying practices will stay basic rather than install heavy game plans.
- Those routing choices would cut the 49ers’ projected season travel from about 38,105 miles to roughly 36,784 miles, which would likely keep them short of the NFL single‑season travel record and limit lost preseason recovery time that Shanahan has criticized.