Roger Goodell responds to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s criticism of Australia opener

During the recent NFL meetings in Phoenix, Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers voiced frustration about his team's scheduled Week 1 trip to Melbourne, Australia, where the 49ers will face the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL's first regular-season game in the country.

Shanahan made it clear he sees little benefit in the long international travel.

"No, not at all," Shanahan said. "I don't see any pro. I mean, it's cool for the league to play globally. I think it's awesome, but as far as the team doing it, there's not much benefit to it. Sometimes it's nice to get a bye week after, but it doesn't happen for Week 1."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed those comments during a press conference in Melbourne on Friday.

"Coaches have a focus on winning. That's their number one job," Goodell said. "And so, Coach Shanahan is enthusiastic and a great football coach, but also someone who truly understands the importance of expanding our game globally."

Goodell added that Shanahan's responsibility is to prepare the 49ers to compete regardless of location. The league made it a bit tougher on San Francisco this season by scheduling the team in two international games—the second being in Mexico City.

"But his job is to win. His job is to play," Goodell continued. "I always say coaches like to play at 1:00 and 4:00 and don't get in the way of that. So, we're going to make it a great experience for the team. That's one of the things we focused on. Everybody here—and so many others—have focused on making it a great experience for everyone, the team included.

"When they go back, they've gotta make sure that they're able to continue the competitiveness because this game is real, this counts. And they'll go on to Week 2 as soon as they leave here."

When asked whether he had any advice for Shanahan on handling jet lag, Goodell pointed to his own experience traveling internationally.

"I have an app for him, which I'm going to send to him, because my wife hooked me up with an app, and I gotta tell you, I feel great," he said. "I haven't felt any jet lag at all. We've been here since Tuesday morning, and I thought it was a relatively easy trip."