Goodell Mocks Shanahan’s Jet-Lag Gripes, Touts App as 49ers-Rams Looms in Melbourne

MELBOURNE—NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell arrived at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday armed with a smile, a vision for global growth, and an anti-jet-lag app he says works wonders. The light-hearted jab was aimed directly at San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who last month in Phoenix left no doubt he views the league’s first regular-season game in Australia as a competitive inconvenience rather than an historic opportunity.

“I said it yesterday: Coaches have a focus on winning,” Goodell told reporters when asked about Shanahan’s blunt assessment. “That’s their No. 1 job. Coach Shanahan is enthusiastic and a great football coach but also someone who truly understands the importance of expanding our game globally. But his job is to win. His job is to play. I always say coaches like to play at 1 o’clock and 4 o’clock, and don’t get in the way of that.”

The commissioner, in Australia to promote the Sept. 10 clash between the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, brushed aside suggestions the long-haul journey would handicap either side. Instead, he offered Shanahan a digital remedy.

“I have an app for him, which I’m going to send to him,” Goodell quipped. “My wife hooked me up with an app, and I got to tell you, I feel great. I have not felt any jet lag at all. We’ve been here since Tuesday morning and I thought it was a relatively easy trip.”

Shanahan, speaking at the league’s annual meetings, had dismissed any competitive upside to the 19-to-20-hour flight and 17-hour time-zone swing. “I don’t see any pro,” he said. “It’s cool for the league to play globally. I think that’s awesome. But as far as the team doing it, no, there’s not much benefit to it.” The 49ers will not receive a bye in Week 2, forcing an immediate turnaround upon returning stateside.

Several key players, including star running back Christian McCaffrey, share their coach’s skepticism. General manager John Lynch struck a pragmatic tone: “These are the cards you’re dealt. Let’s make it the best we possibly can.”

Goodell, meanwhile, emphasized the broader mission. Tickets for the 100,000-seat MCG sold out within minutes of release, underscoring what the league sees as insatiable local demand. “Every ticket that we put out for public sale was gone in a matter of minutes,” he said. “I think that’s a demonstration of the demand for this event.”

The commissioner also confirmed Australia has become a permanent fixture on the NFL’s international calendar. “There’s no question that we’re going to be playing here again,” he stated. “Our view is that we’re coming here for the long term. We don’t come as a one-off. This isn’t a circus.”

For Shanahan and the 49ers, the circus comment may ring hollow. Come September, the only thing that will matter is finding a way to beat a division rival half a world from home—and then boarding the longest flight of the season with a 0-1 record nowhere in sight.