All posts by : Don Lichterman

On The Rampage International Games, Thanksgiving Eve, At home, SoFi Stadium, The Road Schedule, 18-Player Undrafted Free Agent Class & Speculation

The noise surrounding the NFL never really stops in Los Angeles. Even in the middle of May, long before preseason headlines begin dominating national television, the Los Angeles Rams are already one of the league’s most fascinating organizations to monitor because almost every move the franchise makes carries larger implications for the NFC power structure. The team is once again being positioned directly in the center of the NFL’s global spotlight as early schedule leaks continue revealing what could become one of the franchise’s biggest national showcase seasons in recent memory.

Even before the complete 2026 NFL schedule officially drops, the league has already confirmed two massive standalone primetime games involving the team, and both matchups carry enormous implications not only for the Rams’ playoff trajectory but also for the NFL’s ongoing international expansion strategy and streaming television future. The season will begin in unprecedented fashion as the Rams open the 2026 campaign against the San Francisco 49ers in one of the most ambitious regular-season events the NFL has ever staged. I had no clue it was the opening game. The Niners and Jags play two International games.

Scheduled for Thursday, September 10, the NFC West rivals will meet at the legendary Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, turning the Rams into one of the featured franchises spearheading the league’s aggressive global growth initiative. The matchup instantly becomes one of the most watched opening-week games of the entire NFL season, with kickoff set for 8:35 PM ET and the broadcast streaming globally through Netflix in another sign of how rapidly the NFL’s media landscape continues evolving.

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