Rams get dealt logistical nightmare they have already proven they know how to handle and it could give them a competitive advantage

The Los Angeles Rams will make NFL history with their Week 1 game against bitter NFC West rival.

AJ Schulte — College Football Trending News Writer
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Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) reacts in the first half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium.
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The upcoming 2026 NFL season is an “all in” Super Bowl run for the Los Angeles Rams. They have pushed their chips in around Matthew Stafford for one (likely) final run to hoist a Lombardi. The roster is set, and they have the pieces to compete immediately.

Now, they know the date and time of their first game of this potentially historic season for the franchise, and it starts with an NFL-first.

Rams’ first NFL game could be a nightmare…for the 49ers

To kick off this season, the Rams will mark an NFL first. They will take on the San Francisco 49ers for the first-ever NFL regular season game in Melbourne, Australia. Notably, this game will play at 8:35 PM ET. Local time, that is at 10:35 AM. The Rams will be playing in a morning game for perhaps the first time ever.

Fortunately, the Rams have always been a creative international team, most notably with their travel to London for their Week 7 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars this season. The Rams were the first team in NFL history to embrace a new travel schedule for a London game, and it paid off in a big way for them over the Jaguars. Whereas most teams fly out early to get adjusted to the different time zone, the Rams did not land until a little over 24 hours before the game kicked off. In turn, they blew out the Jaguars 35-7.

This type of against-the-grain creativity that the Rams have already shown for international games could be a huge competitive advantage over the 49ers. It will be fascinating to see how they approach such an unprecedented opportunity, but they have proven they will be nothing but adaptable numerous times in the past.

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