MELBOURNE, Australia — Los Angeles Rams receiver Davante Adams said Thursday that other NFL teams probably should adopt the Rams’ late-arrival approach to international travel. Adams made the comments in Melbourne, where the Rams landed just before dawn Thursday for Friday’s season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Rams plan to fly home before sunset Friday, about 36 hours after they arrived, The Associated Press’ Greg Beacham reported. Whether the plan works is the test for Adams.
“They probably should,” Adams said. “If it works, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s what they say.”
Kickoff at the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground is set for 10:35 a.m. local time Friday, which is 7:35 p.m. CT Thursday, and the game streams on Netflix. It is the first NFL regular-season game played in Australia.
Last October, the Rams used a late arrival for a game in London. They landed on a Saturday morning and beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-7 at Wembley Stadium the next afternoon. Under Rams coach Sean McVay, the Rams are 3-0 in international games. All three wins came in London. McVay said Thursday that the Rams were well-rested after the flight to Melbourne.
The 49ers arrived in Australia more than a week before the Rams and spent the week adjusting their body clocks. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said this week that 53 players on each roster and 3 1/2 hours of football leave too many variables for him to credit either travel plan with an advantage.
“I’m sure it will be a good case study for anybody else in the future to sit there and overthink which one helped or not,” Shanahan said, “but the real thing that’s going to (win) this game is who plays better football. There’s too many variables that go into this stuff with 53 guys on each team, with 3 1/2 hours of football, for me to overthink or say anything that gives one team a big advantage over the other.”
Davante Adams Gets Coffee, Meets Fans During Rams’ Short Melbourne Stay
Many fans in Australia expected more face time with the Rams, and the team’s schedule has drawn criticism there, Beacham reported. The Rams are one of four NFL teams with marketing rights in Australia and New Zealand. Adams spent part of the Rams’ only day in Melbourne getting coffee and walking the city’s streets.
“Obviously, we would love to have the opportunity to connect with the fans out here a little bit more,” Adams explained, “but we did what we could (today), getting out and trying some coffee and getting out on the streets. We had a chance to meet and see some of the fans, so we did as much as we could with our travel schedule.”
McVay and the Rams’ front office have heard the criticism, according to Beacham. The 49ers’ week in Melbourne included a foodie passport program that put 49ers-themed food and drinks at six local businesses. The Gold Rush, the 49ers’ cheerleaders, scheduled a world-record attempt in Melbourne ahead of the game.
Davante Adams Opens Second Rams Season After Leading NFL In Touchdown Catches
Adams signed with the Rams on March 9, 2025, five days after the New York Jets released him. He caught 60 passes for 789 yards and 14 touchdowns in 14 games last season. His 14 touchdown catches led the NFL. It was the third time Adams led the league in touchdown receptions, after 2020 and 2022.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw 4 touchdown passes in the Rams’ 42-26 win at San Francisco on Nov. 9. Adams caught one of them. In the playoffs, Adams had 11 catches, 185 yards, and 1 touchdown in the Rams’ three postseason games.
Through 12 NFL seasons, Adams has 1,017 catches for 12,633 yards and 117 touchdowns. His 117 touchdown catches are the most among active players.
Friday’s game is the first of two meetings between the Rams and 49ers this season. The second is set for Week 14.
