By admin 
The 49ers begin their season Thursday night, depending on your geographic location.
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That’s because kickoff for their Week 1 game against the L.A. Rams is actually happening on Friday morning in Australia, aligning with a prime-time television audience Thursday night in the U.S.
The start time will be 5:35 p.m. on the West Coast — and 10:35 a.m. at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The game is being shown on Netflix and will be simulcast throughout Northern California on NBC Bay Area.
It’s been a busy news week leading into the game, so let’s get to the biggest story lines heading in.
Defensive line woes
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday (or Tuesday evening on the West Coast) that second-year pro Alfred Collins suffered a torn patellar injury during practice and will miss the season.
The news is a big blow for San Francisco’s defense. Collins was projected to have a big role along the interior of the defensive line after being taken in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. Worse yet, a torn patellar is considered a more difficult injury to overcome than a torn ACL, often requiring a nine-to-12 month recovery.
Former 49ers defensive lineman Drake Jackson suffered the same injury in 2023. Jackson ultimately missed the 2024 season and never played for San Francisco again. He was recently released after trying to crack the Washington Commanders’ roster.
The 49ers’ defensive line is entering the game without defensive end Sam Okuayinonu (foot) and 2024 first-round draft pick Mykel Williams, who is on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his ACL last November. He won’t be eligible to play until Week 5.
“Alfred tore his patella tendon yesterday. So, that was a big loss,” Shanahan told reporters. “We’ve lost two D-linemen pretty much for the year after cuts before the first game, which has been a huge challenge. Hurting for Alfred.”
Without Collins, expect CJ West to start next to Osa Odighizuwa at defensive tackle, with rookie Gracen Halton returning to practice this week off an ankle injury and James Johnson Jr. working back from a hamstring issue. Kevin Givens and Sebastian Valdez are available on the practice squad.
No Aaron Donald
The 49ers caught a break with the Rams deciding to leave Aaron Donald in L.A. after he announced he was coming out of retirement Aug. 30.
“He’s doing a great job,” Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters, according to ESPN. “I think he’ll be ready to go sooner rather than later, but we’re making a decision that we think is best for him and for our team … He’s attacked this the right way, but it would have been a really quick turnaround.”
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The Rams appear to be taking a cautious approach with the 35-year-old who hasn’t played since 2023. McVay hasn’t said when Donald will make his on-field return, but the 49ers certainly won’t mind. Donald would have been an exceedingly difficult matchup for their offensive line, which could see two players rotating at left guard while they decide on a long-term starter between second-year pro Connor Colby and rookie Carver Willis.
“I told you guys last time I talked to you he was definitely playing,” Shanahan said about Donald. “I’ve never been more excited to be wrong about something.”
Still, the Rams have a talented defensive front headlined by Myles Garrett. Replacing Donald will be a mixture of Braden Fiske, Poona Ford, Tyler Davis, Kobie Turner and Ty Hamilton.
George Kittle and Nick Bosa are back
George Kittle’s eight-month recovery from his January Achilles tear is expected to culminate for the opener when he’s in uniform against the Rams. Same for defensive end Nick Bosa, who missed the bulk of training camp and the preseason after dealing with tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee from tearing his ACL in September.
“We’ve got to be smart with that,” Shanahan told reporters when asked about how much Kittle and Bosa will play. “You know, Bosa not practicing as much. Kittle, he’s had this whole week, but they both look great and stuff. But we also, we definitely have got to be smart with that.”
Suffice to say, both players are expected to have a limited work load against the Rams.
Competing theories based on competing science
One of the biggest talking points of the week has been the difference in the teams’ travel plans. The 49ers arrived in Australia a week early and held four practices in Melbourne ahead of the game. The Rams decided against that, opting to leave Southern California on Tuesday night and arriving roughly 24 hours before the game.
The 49ers wanted time to acclimate, while the Rams want their body clocks to remain unchanged. Presumably it could help when they return to the California afterward as they prepare for their remaining 16 games. The 49ers will have to re-adjust to Pacific time after a week Down Under.
“It’s such an absolute deal. Like, did it help or did it hurt? I don’t think there’s an answer to that,” Shanahan said. “I think some guys it’ll help, some guys it’ll hurt. That’ll be the case for us. That’ll be the case for them. I bet there’s some guys on our team that it would have helped to just come in right away and get out right away, and I think there’s a lot of guys that’d be miserable for.
“I think it’s going to go both ways on that. So, that’s stuff that we can discuss. I’m sure we’ll be a good case study for anybody else in the future to sit there and overthink which one helped and not.”
The NFL is planning to play more games in Australia in the coming years, so the result of 49ers-Rams could go a long way toward helping teams figure out the best way to prepare. The game is the first of nine international games for the NFL this season. The 49ers will have another when they host the Minnesota Vikings in Mexico City on Nov. 22.
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