The 2026 NFL schedule left one team facing a historic travel grind as the league’s international expansion dramatically reshaped its season
15:00 ET, 18 Feb 2026
The NFL, led by commissioner Roger Goodell, is rapidly expanding its global reach
View 3 Images
The NFL, led by commissioner Roger Goodell, is rapidly expanding its global reach(Image: Getty)
The NFL’s growing global ambitions are coming at a cost, and in 2026 the San Francisco 49ers appear to be paying most of it.
San Francisco, already marred by injury after another member of the team was recently shot, is projected to travel roughly 38,100 miles during the upcoming regular season, which would set a new NFL record for total team mileage in a single year. The figure, first circulated by DraftKings data, would surpass the mark set by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025 and reflects a schedule shaped heavily by the league’s expanding international footprint.
Article continues below
West Coast teams already log some of the highest travel totals annually because of geography. But this season goes far beyond the usual cross-country trips.
Article continues below
READ MORE: Olympic curling cheating scandal deepens as five-word comment caught on hot micREAD MORE: Team USA star begs not to be 'evicted' from Olympic Village
The 49ers will play two international games, including one on another continent entirely, turning what is normally a demanding travel calendar into something unprecedented.
San Francisco is expected to open the season on the road against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, the NFL’s first ever game in the country.
The roughly 17-hour flight and extreme time-zone shift represent one of the most physically disruptive trips any team has faced during a regular season. Both teams will have to adjust body clocks, recovery schedules and preparation routines in ways that don’t resemble a typical week.
The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground looks set to host an NFL regular season game
View 3 Images
The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground looks set to host an NFL regular season game(Image: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
The league then added a second international game: a “home” contest for the 49ers in Mexico City at Estadio Banorte, the renovated stadium previously known as Estadio Azteca.
The franchise has played there before in 2005 and 2022, but never in the same season as another overseas matchup. Even though the Mexico trip is far shorter than Australia, it still adds altitude challenges and additional travel miles to an already stretched schedule.
The result is historic mileage, and a schedule that some observers believe borders on punishing. The 49ers will not only cross the Pacific once but still face a normal slate of domestic road games, including East Coast trips to cities such as Atlanta and New York.
The NFL played a regular-season game in Brazil during the 2025 season
View 3 Images
The NFL played a regular-season game in Brazil during the 2025 season(Image: Getty)
The international assignments are part of the NFL’s record nine overseas games in 2026, with matchups scheduled in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Spain, France, Mexico and multiple games in London.
Article continues below
The expansion is tied to the league’s Global Markets Program, which grants teams marketing rights abroad — the 49ers hold those rights in Mexico — and aims to grow fan bases worldwide.
There is at least one theoretical benefit for San Francisco: the Rams matchup in Australia replaces what would have been a short divisional trip to Los Angeles, though those games already tend to draw large pro-49ers crowds. The tradeoff, however, is obvious: a routine one-hour flight becomes the longest regular-season journey in league history.
The full 2026 schedule will be released later this spring, but the headline is already clear. The NFL wants a global game, and the 49ers will be carrying much of the passport.