San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and defensive end Nick Bosa have traveled to Australia with the team for the historic season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Their presence on the flight fuels optimism that both players could be available for the Sept. 10 game, the first NFL contest ever to be held on the continent.
The team is scheduled to land in Australia on Friday, accounting for the 17-hour time difference, and will begin acclimating to the local time before the kickoff. The game is set to take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, Sept. 10, at 10:35 a.m. ET.
Both Kittle and Bosa have been dealing with injury concerns. Kittle sustained a torn Achilles in the Wild Card Round on January 11, while Bosa tore his ACL in Week 3 of last season and has been managing tendinitis during training camp. The 49ers have also faced other injury setbacks, including wide receiver Mike Evans, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
Kittle indicated last month that traveling to Australia would likely signify his readiness to play. "I would assume so," Kittle said when asked if the trip would mean he's playing. "I mean, that probably makes the most sense. I would assume."
The 49ers, considered Super Bowl favorites by many, will face the Rams, who will have quarterback Matthew Stafford returning and defensive lineman Myles Garrett following a trade from the Cleveland Browns after Aaron Donald's retirement.