Shanahan throws shade at Rams: NFL ‘let them off the hook’

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Sean McVay, head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, embraces Kyle Shanahan, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, after a game at SoFi Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Kyle Shanahan believes that the Los Angeles Rams are so pressed about playing the 49ers at SoFi Stadium that they convinced the NFL to move the game to Australia this season, and San Francisco's coach said on Sunday that it still won't matter. In a press conference just days ahead of their Week 1 matchup, Shanahan said that the league let the Rams off the hook" by moving a Niners home game" (aka at SoFi Stadium) to Melbourne, but that it won't be much different here".

Shanahan expects the same pro-49ers crowd to be present at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds this Thursday.

Shanahan said he was initially disappointed that NFL "let the Rams off the hook" by taking away a 49ers' "home game" at SoFi Stadium.

But after being in Melbourne for a few days, Shanahan feels "it won't be much different here" -he expects 49ers' fan dominance in MCG

- David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 7, 2026

The 49ers have had an undeniable presence at SoFi Stadium, but Shanahan isn't being shy about his belief that the Rams have pushed the NFL to move the game as to avoid the story this year. ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio has described Shanahan's attitude about the game this season as salty" regarding the trip to Australia:

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has been salty about the Rams' desire to export a home game to Australia, in order to avoid yet another San Francisco-fan takeover of SoFi Stadium. Now that Shanahan and the 49ers have hunkered down in Melbourne, Shanahan feels differently.

Shanahan currently believes it won't be much different" in Austrialia - and he expects the so-called Faithful to take over the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday night.

But if the Rams gave up their supposed home-field advantage against the 49ers in order to avoid the embarrassment of having red far outnumber blue in the L.A. venue, it apparently won't be much different for the NFL's first-ever game in Australia.

The Rams have lost six of their last seven regular season home games against the 49ers, but did win a playoff game at SoFi Stadium in 2022.