The San Francisco 49ers open the 2026 season on Thursday, Sept. 10, against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. It will mark the first time in league history that a regular-season game is played Down Under, and it features two teams firmly in the Super Bowl conversation. Fans are in for a treat in Week 1.
But 49ers fans will have to try to hold down one of the NFL's most explosive offenses without one of their top defenders: pass rusher Sam Okuayinonu. Okuayinonu reportedly won't travel with the team to Australia and is currently listed as questionable with a foot injury. More news: Mason Rudolph Gets Brutally Honest About Myles Garrett Trade Okuayinonu has spent the last two seasons in San Francisco after going undrafted out of Maryland in 2022, quickly developing into one of the more reliable pieces along the 49ers' defensive line.
Last season, he racked up 39 combined tackles, six tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, three sacks, and one forced fumble across 15 games (12 starts). He played nearly 60% of the team's defensive snaps and was expected to help anchor the line again this season alongside Bosa and Keion White. Okuayinonu may not put up flashy numbers, but he's a steady presence on a defensive line that will have its hands full in Australia.
More news: Ravens GM Drops Telling Comment on Lamar Jackson’s Future in Baltimore More news: Vikings GM Drops Cryptic JJ McCarthy Update Ahead of Week 1 While losing Okuayinonu is a significant loss for the team, it looks like Bosa will be ready for Week 1, which had been a concern all summer as he worked his way back from a torn ACL. "I'm flying out there, I'm going to [expletive] play," the 49ers star said Wednesday. The Rams-49ers game kicks off at 8:35 p.m.
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