Roger Goodell fires back at Kyle Shanahan's Australia game criticism

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't mince words when discussing his team's upcoming Week 1 game in Melbourne, Australia against the Los Angeles Rams. Shanahan said he "didn't see any pro" to playing that far away from home, and added that "as far as the team doing it, no, there's not much benefit to it. Sometimes it's nice to get a bye week after, but it doesn't happen in Week 1".

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell heard Shanahan's remarks, but noted this week during a trip to Australia that he and the league would make sure that the experience was a good one for Shanahan, his staff and both teams. He also joked that he had an app for Shanahan to use to help with jet lag and the 17-hour time difference.

"Coaches have a focus on winning. That's their No. 1 job," Goodell said. "And so Coach Shanahan is enthusiastic and a great football coach, but also someone who truly understands the importance of expanding our game globally. But his job is to win. His job is to play.

"So, we're going to make it a great experience for the team. That's one of the things we focus on, everybody here and so many others have focused on: make it a great experience for everyone, the team included. When they go back, they've got to make sure that they're able to continue the competitiveness, because this game is real. This counts. And they'll go on to Week 2 as soon as they leave here."

The 49ers will play the Rams on Thursday, September 10, at 5:30 p.m. PT, but the game will actually be played on Friday at 10:35 a.m. Australia time because of the 17-hour time difference between the U.S. and Australia. That, and the long-distance travel from California to Australia, makes the game a bit unique relative to the rest of the slate in 2026.

It's the first step in a bigger push by the league to expand the game, but Shanahan, the 49ers and the Rams will be the first test in a pivotal season for both squads.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Roger Goodell responds to Kyle Shanahan's concerns with Australia game