MELBOURNE, Australia – This 49ers season-opening victory celebration hit different, in the most unique atmosphere in NFL history. Left tackle Trent Williams hopped off the field – no boxing-kangaroo reference intended – and hoisted his arms in triumph.

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers both traveled extreme distances to get to Melbourne. They used different travel approaches; while the Rams traveled to Australia the day before, while the 49ers had been there for a week.

Christian McCaffrey is on the verge of breaking a longstanding NFL record in the 49ers' Week 1 game against the Rams.

Between 17-hour flights, time zone changes and a morning kickoff, the league’s first regular-season game Down Under is a grand experiment in when football players should sleep—and how far the league can travel.

With the way the offseason had gone, the Los Angeles Rams felt like a matchup nightmare. The favorites to the Super Bowl, some people even wondered if 17-0 was on the board for them.

The 2026 NFL season begins Wednesday with a Super Bowl LX rematch between the Seahawks and Patriots. Will Seattle repeat, or is another team destined to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14,