NFL Australia 2026: Passport problem facing 49ers and Rams

For the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, another requirement has now been added to the list: owning a passport.

The two franchises will begin their season in Australia. Any player joining at the last minute must therefore have the necessary documents to travel abroad with the team.

It is an unusual complication that has turned the final construction of their squads into a race against time.

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"Do you have a passport?"

At this stage of the year, franchises contact players released during final roster cuts to offer them places on their practice squads.

Those conversations usually focus on the player's potential role, physical condition or arrival date. San Francisco general manager John Lynch must now ask a question he has never previously needed to consider.

Speaking in comments reported by NBC Sports, Lynch summarised the unusual situation:

The question may sound like a minor detail, but it is crucial. Without an available passport and the necessary visa, a new signing could be unable to travel to Australia with the rest of the team.

Mitchell Leff / Stringer

One passport sent by express delivery

Players who have been with the 49ers throughout the offseason have had time to prepare for the international trip.

The situation is very different for anyone joining the team only days before departure. Lynch revealed that one new arrival had left his passport at his parents' house.

His family had to send it by express delivery so that the player could immediately begin the necessary administrative process.

The example highlights how tight the schedule has become. A signing may be completed from a football perspective, but the player still cannot travel until every required document is in place.

The Rams face the same constraint and must also ensure that every new member of their roster or practice squad can enter Australia.

International games also change roster management

NFL international games are usually discussed in terms of travel, time-zone changes and player recovery.

The trip to Australia adds another challenge because NFL roster management never stops.

A practice squad can change throughout the season. Injuries and football decisions may force a franchise to sign a player and integrate them at very short notice.

For a game played in the United States, that late arrival is relatively straightforward to organise. For a trip to the other side of the world, every roster move requires document checks, visa applications and immediate coordination between several departments.

A player who is available from a football perspective may not necessarily be available from a logistical one.

A major operation behind the scenes

Lynch praised the staff responsible for preparing what is expected to become the longest road trip in NFL history.

The 49ers have worked with the league to organise the journey, but much of the administrative work has remained the franchise's responsibility.

Visa applications have proved more complicated than Lynch expected. The staff must verify the status of every player, coach and employee expected to make the trip.

Much of that work will be invisible by the time the players take the field. It will still determine whether both teams can arrive in Australia with complete squads.

For the 49ers and Rams, preparations for this international game do not begin with the playbook or adjusting to the time difference. They begin with a much simpler question: where is your passport?

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