The NFL’s first international game of the season sends the 49ers and Rams to the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday night in the United States, which is Friday morning in Australia. And if this one feels like it has a little extra noise around it, that’s because both teams arrive with plenty to sort through.
San Francisco has spent much of training camp patching holes. Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans and Nick Bosa were among the stars who missed time with injuries, while Ricky Pearsall is done for the year after surgery on his PCL.
Alfred Collins also suffered a season-ending injury this week, tearing his patellar tendon in practice. All told, the 49ers have 11 players on injured reserve.
Still, Kyle Shanahan remains the steady hand, and he’s delivered double-digit wins in four of the last five seasons.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, has spent the offseason looking like a team built to bully the league. The Rams already had Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua, the 2025 receptions leader, and then they went shopping for more firepower on defense, landing Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett. Late last month, they also brought Aaron Donald out of retirement, though he won’t make the trip to Melbourne for this one.
That leaves Thursday night with a few clear pressure points, and one of them starts up front. Garrett comes in fresh off a monster 2025 with the Browns, when he set the NFL single-season sack record with 23.0 after taking down Joe Burrow in Week 18. That season also earned him a second Defensive Player of the Year award, a third straight first-team All-Pro selection and recognition as Sports Illustrated’s best edge rusher in the league for 2026.
Even without Donald in the lineup, Garrett should have chances to make life miserable for Brock Purdy. Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner and Bryon Young could help create the kind of one-on-one looks that let Garrett hunt, and San Francisco’s offensive line has some questions on the interior. The bold call here: Garrett gets to Purdy twice.
If that happens, the 49ers will need McCaffrey to carry the offense. He was back to his usual self last season, piling up 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 311 carries, while adding 102 catches for 924 yards and seven scores.
His 413 touches led the league, and it was the heaviest workload he’s carried since entering the NFL in 2017. He may not be on a 17-game touchdown streak anymore - that NFL record came in 2022 and ’23 - but he still found the end zone in 12 of San Francisco’s 17 games last season.
With George Kittle still working back from an Achilles injury, McCaffrey figures to be the center of everything again.
That’s why the prediction here is a big one for the 30-year-old back: two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, under the lights in Australia.
As for the result, the Rams may be the more complete team on paper, but they also have a history of stumbling early. In two of the last three seasons, they opened well below .500, going 3-6 in 2023 and 1-4 in ’24 before finding their footing later. They’re also adjusting to Nate Scheelhaase as offensive coordinator, blending in new defensive pieces and dealing with the time change after intentionally not arriving early.
So the final call is a narrow one: the 49ers edge the Rams 21-20, handing Los Angeles a loss to start what many expect to be a championship-level season.
In Other News...
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Allens status was listed as questionable to return, and even if the setback proves temporary, it puts a little more weight on the depth chart heading into the next stretch. The Rams will need more from the other tight ends if Allen cant get back on the field soon, especially in an offense that likes to lean on that group for both protection and passing-game versatility. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Face A Brutal Pregame Swing Against San Francisco
The Rams pregame picture for Melbourne just got tougher on one side and a little more complicated on the other. San Francisco tight end George Kittle has been cleared and taken off the injury list, while Los Angeles will be without Aaron Donald, a notable absence for a defense that usually leans on him to change the games rhythm.
Kyle Shanahan has already said Kittle and Nick Bosa will have limited playing time as the 49ers ease them back from major injuries, which adds another layer to a matchup that was never going to be simple. For the Rams, the challenge is obvious enough: face a division rival on a long trip, with one of the leagues most disruptive defenders unavailable and San Francisco getting a key weapon back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald's Comeback Starts With A Rams Reality Fans Won't Love
Aaron Donald wont be part of the Rams Week 1 group in Australia, a reminder that his return to the field is still in the early stages even after the comeback announcement gave Los Angeles a jolt of optimism. The veteran defensive star did not travel with the team for its game against the 49ers, and the Rams are taking a patient approach as he works back into football shape after coming out of retirement.
For a defense that has long leaned on Donald as its centerpiece, the wait is the reality fans were hoping to avoid, even if it was always part of the plan. Donald last played in the NFL in 2023, and the earliest expectation for his return is Week 2, leaving the Rams to navigate the opener without one of the most important players in franchise history. [Read more 🡒]