49ers travel to Australia as NFL pre-season rankings shift for 2026

The San Francisco 49ers departed on a 15-hour flight to Melbourne late Wednesday night ahead of their upcoming Week 1 game against the Rams. While the 49ers began their travel early, the Rams have planned a shorter stay in Australia, arriving only a week before the game. Elsewhere, preseason analysis has categorized NFL teams into six tiers regarding their Super Bowl potential, with the Rams listed in the top tier. Other franchises, such as the Bills, Chargers, and Cowboys, hold various expectations for the new season, while the Dolphins currently rank among the contenders for the No. 1 overall draft pick. Meanwhile, analysts are evaluating top quarterback-coach pairings, noting that established duos like Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni remain in the top ten despite new combinations, such as Joe Brady and Josh Allen, not qualifying for the current rankings.

• 4:58 PMCBS NFL — NFL teams that can win Super Bowl, top QB-coach combos for 2026 and 49ers just left for Australia