San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Mike Evans couldn't help but share his reaction to hearing the Los Angeles Rams arrived just hours before their 27-7 loss in Australia
Mike Evans couldn't contain his smile after hearing when the Los Angeles Rams arrived in Australia
Mike Evans couldn't contain his smile after hearing when the Los Angeles Rams arrived in Australia(Image: YouTube: @San Francisco 49ers)
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Mike Evans couldn't hide his reaction after hearing when the Los Angeles Rams arrived in Australia for their game against the San Francisco 49ers.
In the days leading up to the 49ers' 27-7 win over the Rams to start the 2026 NFL season, much was made about each team's decision to arrive in Australia at vastly different times. The 49ers opted to arrive early to get acclimated, while the Rams arrived just hours before the game in hopes of tricking their bodies into thinking it was playing a game in California.
After the 49ers' win, Evans, the star wide receiver who recorded 33 receiving yards on six receptions with one touchdown, was left baffled by the Rams' travel plans, which were also lambasted by his team's social media team.
"I know it was definitely worth it coming a little bit early," he began to reporters after the win. "I feel like we got acclimated. [The team] did a great job of getting us there early. And all the guys, we attacked it. We didn't complain. We actually enjoyed being out here in Melbourne."
A few moments later, as he was being asked a question about the Rams and their travel plans, Evans asked when their opponents would arrive in Australia. After being told that Los Angeles arrived just hours before the game, the 33-year-old smiled, believing the answer was a joke.
He then asked the reporters again, this time in a more serious manner, when the Rams arrived for their game, and his first reaction to being told that the team had arrived was to say, "Oh dang."
San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver #5 Mike Evans celebrates after completing a pass during the NFL match between Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on September 11, 2026
Mike Evans and the San Francisco 49ers used the rest they had to their advantage(Image: Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP via Getty Images)
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"I mean, you gotta give your body time to adjust," he added in a reflective and serious tone. "Obviously, whenever the game's scheduled, you gotta be ready to play. But maybe a few days earlier would have been ideal.
"But no matter what, we don't care if they came a week or two weeks earlier - we had it on our mind to come out here and execute, and we did that."
On the other hand, Rams head coach Sean McVay downplayed any role Los Angeles' travel schedule might have played in the 20-point loss, instead pinning the defeat on himself. "I didn't do nearly a good enough job," he told reporters after the game. "This is a humbling day for us, and this will define us only if we allow it to.
"And today was one of those days, and you know, I always look inside out. I didn't do a good enough job getting us ready to go. There were some opportunities where maybe the game could have flipped, but they deserve the win. They were ready to go, and we'll look at it.
"I make no excuses, and you know, whether you want to say it's about travel, whatever, we just weren't good enough in that window. I didn't coach good enough, and we'll look at it, and we'll move forward, and that's where we're at right now."
When asked later in his press conference if he felt like his players were able to sleep and if they felt "ready to go," McVay noted that they did get rest before once again praising San Francisco. "I thought we were ready to go, and obviously we just didn't play good enough," he continued.
"You give the Niners credit. They were sharp in all three phases. ... I look at nobody but myself, and I can do a much better job, and then defensively, we had some chances and couldn't necessarily get off the grass, and we struggled in the kicking game as well."
The 49ers are back in action on Sept. 20 against the Miami Dolphins, while the Rams' next game will be against the New York Giants on Sept. 21.