Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams can officially plan accordingly following the NFL’s announcement of the International Series for the 2026 regular season.
They already know that they will be part of the historic first matchup in Australia, hosting their NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. And they got confirmation that they will avoid facing the 49ers in Mexico, surely to the chagrin of Kyle Shanahan.
That confirmation came with a dose of reality for the Rams, too, though.
NFL Confirms Rams Schedule Rumor
GettySean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams have avoided an apparent revenge effort from the San Francisco 49ers.
The NFL announced the full slate of international games for the 2026 season, featuring McVay and the Rams in Australia, but not Mexico. That also finalized the distance the Rams will travel (based on the location of their matchups, not verified travel plans).
Bookies’ Bill Speros shared the graphic, and it does not bode well for the Rams, who will travel the second-most miles in the NFL next season.
Only the 49ers will travel further, thanks to their tilt in Mexico.
Six teams will travel more than the distance around the earth the equator – 24,901 miles.
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Shanahan asserted and lamented that the Rams requested the 49ers for the game in Australia, publicly calling for the NFL to act in kind and match the two teams up in Mexico. The NFL, obviously, did not oblige, sending the Minnesota Vikings instead.
Stafford, head coach Sean McVay, and the Rams lost one game at home last season, which was against Shanahan and the 49ers in overtime.
This outcome gives McVay and the Rams an edge that could be critical as the season plays out.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will travel the 10th-most air miles. Shanahan may not be pleased with the NFL’s decision on the 2026 international slate of games, but he and McVay can still commiserate over a challenge both the 49ers and Rams face yearly.
Location Working Against Rams, 49ers
GettyKyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers have something in common with Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams’ travel outlook sparked some strong reactions, with their yearly mileage seemingly always toward the higher end.
“Can’t remember the last time the Rams weren’t shafted by their schedule,” Underdog’s Sosa Kremenjas posted on X on May 13. “Every year, rinse and repeat. Among the most traveled, among the strongest SoS.”
However, it is hardly an overt effort to thwart the Rams.
The NFL has 10 out of 32 teams that are located West of the Mississippi River. Of that group, three teams are in the Rams’ division, accounting for six games every year.
Five of the other teams are in the AFC. Every team plays as many interconference games, lining up a full division and an additional one-off contest. Still, having all of them be in the West will remain unlikely for the league’s schedule makers.
“Strength of schedule doesn’t mean much in the NFL given parity/annual change. And West Coast teams are always going to travel more than average,” The San Francisco Standard’s David Lombardi posted on X in response to Kremenjas. “It’s the Australia trip that made it super lopsided for the Rams and 49ers this year.”
Both teams will be well-traveled by the end of the 2026 regular season, they hope, with extended playoff runs right after.
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