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 caput coach Kyle Shanahan had astir playing successful Australia successful Week 1.

The 49ers are playing their first crippled of nan 2026 play successful Melbourne, Australia, against nan Los Angeles Rams, and Shanahan told reporters during nan league’s owners meetings past period he did not spot immoderate use to it. 

Shanahan jokingly said it was his extremity to play a crippled 19 to 20 hours distant to commencement nan season.

Goodell said he will nonstop Shanahan an app that will thief pinch pitchy lag.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell aft nan Super Bowl betwixt nan Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots astatine Levi's Stadium successful Santa Clara, Calif., Feb. 8, 2026. (Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

"You cognize I person an app for him, which I’m going to nonstop to him because my woman hooked maine up pinch an app. And I sewage to show you, I consciousness great. I person not felt immoderate pitchy lag astatine all. I thought it was a comparatively easy trip," Goodell told reporters successful Australia Friday.

Goodell called Shanahan an enthusiastic coach and mentioned that coaches' priorities solely dishonesty pinch winning shot games. He said nan NFL is focused connected making it a awesome acquisition for everyone.

"Coaches person a attraction connected winning, that’s their No. 1 job. And truthful Coach Shanahan is enthusiastic and a awesome shot coach but besides personification who genuinely understands nan value of expanding our crippled globally. But his occupation is to win, his occupation is to play, and I ever for illustration to opportunity coaches for illustration to play astatine 1 and 4 and don’t get successful nan measurement of that," Goodell said.

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San Francisco 49ers caput coach Kyle Shanahan watches from nan sideline during nan 2nd half against nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers successful Tampa, Fla., Oct. 12, 2025. (Chris O'Meara/AP)

"We’re going to make it a awesome acquisition for nan team. That’s 1 of nan things we attraction on, everybody present and truthful galore others person focused on, and make it a awesome acquisition for everyone, nan squad included. When they spell back, they sewage to make judge they are capable to proceed nan competitiveness because this crippled is real, this counts, and they’ll spell connected to Week 2 arsenic soon arsenic they time off here."

Goodell besides made it clear that nan 49ers-Rams crippled successful Australia is not a one-off arena but nan opening of an finance into nan market.

"There is nary mobility that we are going to beryllium playing present again. Our position is that we are coming present for nan agelong term. We don’t travel arsenic a one-off. This isn’t a circus. This is an finance successful this market, and we judge that this is agelong word and will beryllium awesome for nan NFL agelong term," Goodell said.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attends nan 2026 NFL Pro Bowl crippled betwixt nan AFC and nan NFC astatine nan Moscone Center South successful San Francisco Feb. 3, 2026. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Shanahan and nan different 31 caput coaches successful nan NFL mightiness not emotion nan thought of playing a crippled that requires a 19- to 20-hour flight, but they person small opportunity successful nan matter. While Shanahan mightiness not spot a "pro" to having to play overseas, he does deliberation it’s cool to spot nan NFL globally.

"I don't spot immoderate pro," Shanahan said. "It's cool for nan convention to play globally. I deliberation that's awesome. But arsenic acold arsenic nan squad doing it, no, there's not overmuch use to it. Sometimes it's bully to get a bye week after, but doesn't hap successful Week 1."

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