Kyle Shanahan, Los Angeles Rams
Getty
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looks on after a loss against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Los Angeles Rams and their fans have been thrust into the spotlight thanks to San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
LA will host its NFC West rival in the NFL’s first game played in Australia in Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. The two teams are taking very different approaches to preparing for the international showdown, but Shanahan has had several issues with the situation.
He blames the Rams and hopes to return the favor.
Kyle Shanahan Calls Out Rams for Requesting 49ers for Australia Game
Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
GettySam Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looks on before a game against the Los Angeles Rams.
During an interview with “Pro Football Talk” on March 31, host Mike Florio asked Shanahan about the matchup against head coach Sean McVay and the Rams, which will take place on September 10 stateside and September 11 locally.
Asked how he would handle the flight, Shanahan said, “Don’t get me started.”
“I think I’m gonna take a 19-hour nap on the plane ride out there. And I think when you get there, I’m like two days older. When we come back, I think it’s like going in a time machine.”
Former Rams offensive coordinator and current Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur interjected that he was “pretty sure the Rams lobbied for that game,” a notion which Shanahan fully endorsed.
“I know for a fact they did, and that’s what’s so bothersome,” Shanhan replied. “So, hopefully, the league will do right and let us play the Rams in Mexico. Since we gotta go out of the country twice, and they requested us, I’m requesting them in Mexico. Not that that gives us an advantage. It’s just fair to make them go out of the country.”
McVay worked under Shanahan from 2010 through 2013 in Washington.
LaFleur worked under Shanahan in Washington from 2010 through 2013 with the Cleveland Browns, and in 2015 and 2016 with the Atlanta Falcons. He was with McVay in LA in 2017.
Kyle Shanahan Throws Shade Over Home-Field Advantage
Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Los Angeles Rams
GettyLos Angles Rams head coach Sean McVay greets San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan after a game.
PFT co-host and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms asked if Shanahan believed the Rams requested the matchup to avoid having 49ers fans take over SoFi Stadium.
The 49ers coach ramped up the rhetoric, shading Rams fan attendance while doubling down.
“And I get that. That would suck to have to do a silent cadence and have our home game at their stadium. So, I get their ambitions. But they were awarded that. So, I’m just hoping we can request–I’d love them to come to Mexico.”
Shanahan’s point is one frequently made over the years, with 49ers fans often dominating in terms of in-stadium presence for games in LA.
McVay’s Rams are 8-11 against Shanahan’s 49ers during their current tenures.
LA is 3-7 against San Francisco in SoFi Stadium during that span. That gives 49ers fans more than enough reason to continue their trend. McVay and the Rams got around the issue this time. It remains to be seen if the league will indeed grant Shanahan’s wish.
The NFL will announce the rest of the 2026 regular season schedule sometime during the summer. Special games like the Mexico match will be revealed along the way.
That sets the stage for another big reveal.