49ers have plenty to figure out before Australia season-opener

The San Francisco 49ers are just days away from making their highly anticipated trip to Australia, but plenty of decisions remain before the team boards its flight Wednesday.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch spoke with the media Monday as San Francisco begins its final three practices before departing for the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.

Among the biggest storylines are the statuses of Nick Bosa and George Kittle, both of whom are expected to return to practice this week.

“We’re going to get them out there in these three days and hope it goes well,” Shanahan said.

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 21: Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers walks to the locker room during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/Getty Images)

The 49ers will be careful with both stars rather than throwing them into three consecutive practices. Shanahan said Bosa and Kittle will have different workloads throughout the week as the team prepares for an unusual schedule that includes an additional practice in Australia.

“We’re balancing it out with both of them,” Shanahan said. “We don’t want them to go three days in a row.”

Kittle’s status could be particularly important after the tight end said last week that he would prefer to remain behind in California if he wasn’t expected to play in Australia.

Shanahan acknowledged that the team would ideally make that decision before leaving Wednesday if it becomes clear Kittle won’t be ready.

“Hopefully these three days that we have, these three practices will go the right way and make it an easy decision to get him on the plane,” Shanahan said.

Bosa, meanwhile, appears to be trending in the right direction after dealing with soreness when his workload increased. Lynch said the star defensive end has been through similar situations before and expressed confidence in Bosa’s ability to know what his body needs.

“He knows his body extremely well and knows what it takes to have him ready,” Lynch said.

SANTA CLARA, CA – MAY 12: Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and General Manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers during rookie training camp at the SAP Performance Facility on May 12, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

The 49ers also have several other roster decisions to sort through, including their starting left guard and backup running back. Shanahan admitted Monday that neither position has been settled.

“Don’t know yet,” Shanahan said when asked about both spots.

The accelerated schedule has made those decisions more difficult, particularly with injuries to players such as Dominick Puni and Brayden Willis. The team also decided to keep Mykel Williams on injured reserve, prioritizing his long-term health over rushing him back for the opener.

“We’re also always very conscious of a long-term play,” Lynch said.

Despite the uncertainty, Shanahan knows the opener carries significant weight. San Francisco will face a division rival in Los Angeles in a game that will count just as much as any other during the 17-game regular season.

“In the NFL, just one game is huge,” Shanahan said. “When you only have 17-game seasons, these are all huge.”

With Bosa, Kittle and several other players still working toward full readiness, the next three practices could go a long way toward determining who will be on the field when the 49ers finally take the field in Australia.

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• Christian McCaffrey could see a lighter workload in 2026

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers 2026 Schedule

• Thursday, September 10th – vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia (Season Opener) – 5:35 pm PT
• Sunday, September 20th – vs. Miami Dolphins – 1:25 pm PT
• Sunday, September 27th – vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 pm PT
• Sunday, October 4th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:25 pm PT

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