The San Francisco 49ers will face a big test to start the 2026 season when they take on the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. The Week 1 matchup will give the 49ers an early gauge of where they stand in the NFC West against a team considered one of the favorites to win Super Bowl LXI.
Right now, the 49ers are focused on improving during training camp. However, that doesn't mean the early matchup against a division rival isn't on their minds.
49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak spoke to reporters Sunday afternoon and admitted that, even with two more preseason games ahead, the Week 1 clash with the Rams is already on his mind.
"I think about them every day," Kubiak said. "It's training camp. You kind of dip your toe in watching your Week 1 opponent every now and then because you do want to start working on things that you think are going to be relevant in Week 1. And you start studying the tape a little bit."
The 49ers face tough competition in the NFC West. In addition to facing the Rams twice, they'll battle the Seattle Seahawks, the defending Super Bowl champions, twice.
Most analysts believe the 49ers will finish behind both teams in the NFC West standings. A Week 1 upset in Australia could go a long way toward altering those expectations.
For now, Kubiak is focused on getting the most out of the remainder of training camp and the preseason before turning his full attention to the Rams.
"So, this is kind of an ongoing thing throughout camp," he said. "And then I think once we get past that Raiders week, we really start to just zero in our focus to the Rams."
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