"In the NFL, the bill always comes due. Last year, the San Francisco 49ers were handed a travel schedule so soft you could practically sleep on it. In 2026? The league is sending them on a forced march across the globe. The massive geographical advantage the Niners enjoyed in 2025 is dead, and plans are being drawn on how to dump it into the Pacific Ocean during the team's 16-hour flight come the fall."
"And it all starts with Week 1: Australia. Just reading that makes my hamstrings tighten. The Niners are expected to open their 2026 campaign essentially on the dark side of the moon. And as ESPN's Nick Wagoner astutely pointed out on X (The Everything App, of course), the opponent makes the whole charade sting even more: the Los Angeles Rams."
"Instead of a comfortable Sunday afternoon playing in Santa Clara, the 49ers will sacrifice a home game to play in Mexico City this season. Great for business. Bad for the lungs. They're trading sea level for Estadio Azteca, sitting at 7,218 feet of elevation. Toss in the smog, the noise, and the pomp and circumstance of another international spectacle, and it's one more massive"
San Francisco enjoyed a geographically favorable 2025 schedule but faces significant travel challenges in 2026. The team will open Week 1 in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams, creating long flights and acute jet lag that can linger despite an early bye likely around Week 5. The schedule includes games in three different countries, removing prior advantages and forcing a taxing road-heavy campaign. The 49ers will also give up a home game to play in Mexico City at Estadio Azteca, 7,218 feet above sea level. High elevation, smog, noise, and international spectacle combine to make an especially punishing stretch.
Read at The Mercury News
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