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The historic MCG week is officially here. The San Francisco 49ers touched down in Melbourne on Friday 4 September after a 15-hour chartered Qantas flight, bringing a 200-member travelling party for the first-ever regular-season NFL game in Australia. Their Gold Rush cheerleaders led a world-record attempt at Federation Square on Sunday. Preseason is over. Rosters are set. And the NFL 2026 season kicks off this week — starting with the season opener on Wednesday (Thursday morning 10 September AEST), then the historic 49ers vs Rams MCG game on Friday 11 September AEST. Here’s the state of the NFL for the week ending 6 September 2026.
The 49ers are in Melbourne
Genuinely historic scenes. The San Francisco 49ers arrived in Melbourne on Friday 4 September for the first regular-season NFL game ever played in Australia. Their 200-member travelling party — players, coaches, medical staff and organisation members — touched down at Tullamarine after a 15-hour chartered Qantas flight and will spend the week acclimatising before facing the Los Angeles Rams at the MCG on Friday 11 September.
Saturday saw the 49ers hold their first practice on Australian soil. Sunday saw the team’s Gold Rush cheerleaders lead a world-record attempt for the largest cheerleading dance at Federation Square. Sunday evening the 49ers took part in an Australian media day. It’s the kind of full-week promotional and preparation build-up that shows how seriously both the 49ers and the NFL are treating this milestone game.
The Rams are taking a different approach — they’ll fly to Melbourne on Wednesday, arriving less than 24 hours before kickoff. It’s the longest travel-to-kickoff turnaround in NFL history.
49ers injury watch — Bosa, McCaffrey, Kittle
Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s key names to monitor in Melbourne:
- Nick Bosa — coming off a torn ACL from last season, has returned to full practice but was absent from Sunday’s Melbourne practice
- Christian McCaffrey — recovering from calf tightness, doing individual work on the side rather than full team drills
- George Kittle — off PUP list, participating in Melbourne practices
- Mike Evans — the newly-signed veteran WR is fully in action
Both Bosa and McCaffrey are expected to play — this is precautionary workload management, not new injury news. Bosa himself said last week he’s confident he’ll be available for Week 1.
The season opener — Wednesday night AEST
Before the MCG game, the NFL season officially kicks off on Wednesday 9 September in the US (Thursday morning 10 September AEST) — one day earlier than the traditional Thursday opener. The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks host the Dallas Cowboys for the second-ever Wednesday night season opener in NFL history.
Practice squad tracker — 49ers finalise for Melbourne
On 6 September, the 49ers made key practice squad and 53-man roster tweaks specifically for the Melbourne trip:
- Veteran long snapper Jon Weeks promoted from practice squad to active roster
- Tight end Brayden Willis waived to make room, then re-signed to practice squad after clearing waivers
- Practice squad additions: DE Vincent Anthony Jr., DL Kevin Givens, OL Foster Sarell, CB Brandon Codrington
The team is now set to travel and play at the MCG.
Season kickoff schedule
| Date (AEST) | Event |
|---|---|
| Wed 9 September | Rams fly to Melbourne (arriving Thursday) |
| Thu 10 September | NFL season opener: Cowboys @ Seahawks — Channel 7 |
| Fri 11 September, 10:35am AEST | 49ers vs Rams at the MCG — Channel 7, ESPN, Netflix (KO 10:35am AEST) |
| Sat 13 September onwards | Full Week 1 slate begins |
One email per day at 7:00pm AEST. MCG game viewing details, Week 1 schedule with AEST times, pick of the day. Free.
What’s next?
- Live US Sports TV Guide
- How to Watch NFL in Australia 2026 — with ESPN, Kayo, Disney+, Channel 7
- Previous NFL Wrap — 30 August 2026
All information accurate as of Sunday 6 September 2026 US time. All times AEST. Mac Johannson covers US sports for Australian fans.
