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49ers Confirm Bosa and Kittle for Australia Opener

9/8/2026

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Summary

Bosa, Kittle Start

The San Francisco 49ers will start Nick Bosa and George Kittle in their season-opening game in Australia.
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said Bosa will play despite a torn ACL suffered in Week 3 of 2025.
Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said Kittle practiced at full speed after clearing the PUP list on Aug. 24.
General manager John Lynch said Kittle has crushed all objective measures and looks incredible in recent drills.

Summary

Rams Open Australia

The NFL will open its 2024 season with a divisional game in Australia.
The Los Angeles Rams hope to become the first team to win a regular-season game on Australian soil.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground will host Week 1, the NFL’s first regular-season game on a new continent.
NFL officials said the Australian market will host additional regular-season games in future years.

History

Historical Context

After the NFL staged its first regular-season game abroad on Oct 2 2005, when the Arizona Cardinals beat the San Francisco 49ers before 103,467 fans at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, it launched the International Series in London in 2007 and expanded to other markets. Building on that legacy, the league opened the 2024 season at Melbourne Cricket Ground with the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.

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Bosa, Kittle Start

The San Francisco 49ers will start Nick Bosa and George Kittle in their season-opening game in Australia.
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said Bosa will play despite a torn ACL suffered in Week 3 of 2025.
Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said Kittle practiced at full speed after clearing the PUP list on Aug. 24.
General manager John Lynch said Kittle has crushed all objective measures and looks incredible in recent drills.

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