San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Keion White has a novel approach to conquering the roughly 8,000-mile flight to Australia for the team's Week 1 matchup against the Rams: a significant dose of melatonin.
"I don’t know if you can OD on melatonin, but I’m gonna try,” White joked Tuesday. “Take 5 melatonin, go to sleep. As soon as I wake up, I’m taking 5 more.”
While playful, White's comment underscores the challenge of international travel for athletes. The 49ers are set to depart Santa Clara on Wednesday night and arrive in Melbourne on Friday morning, giving them nearly a week to adjust their body clocks before the historic game. This marks the NFL’s first regular-season game ever held in Australia.
The team’s journey is part of an unusually travel-intensive season that also includes a game in Mexico City. San Francisco's trip to Melbourne has been a key fixture in the NFL's global expansion plans since the 2026 schedule was developed.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan had previously expressed reservations about the trip, stating he saw "no pro" for his team in making the journey. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, however, has defended the league's global push and even jokingly offered Shanahan a jet-lag app earlier this year.
Past NFL experiences highlight the difficulties of adjusting to such long-haul travel. Former cornerback Rasul Douglas described his 2022 London experience as "It f—ing sucked." In 2017, the Baltimore Ravens flew to London late in the week and suffered a significant loss to Jacksonville. Quarterback Joe Flacco recalled not feeling "alive during that game," and defensive tackle Michael Pierce noted his sleep schedule was "shot."
Veteran offensive lineman Tyler Shatley, who played extensively in London games, advised players to "Embrace the stink," suggesting that no method perfectly eliminates jet lag. The 49ers' extended adjustment period before their Melbourne game is a significantly longer preparation than teams have had in previous international contests.