49ers DE jokes about excessive melatonin use ahead of team’s 16-hour Week 1 trip to Australia
· Yahoo Sports
The San Francisco 49ers will open the 2026 NFL season against the Los Angeles Rams in a Week 1 matchup in Australia.
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The 49ers and Rams will open their seasons in Melbourne, Australia as the first of seven international regular-season games for the NFL this season.
This is the longest trip for any team to have ever played an international game in the NFL, and 49ers DE Keion White has his plans set for the 15-hour flight to Melbourne.
49ers’ Keion White might ‘OD on melatonin’ on the flight
White was asked about how he plans to make it through the 15-hour flight to Australia, with the DE revealing that he will try to sleep for every second, ready for the same with a lot of melatonin.
“I don’t know if you can OD on melatonin, but I’m gonna try. Take like five melatonin, go to sleep on the plane. Soon as I wake up, I’m taking five more, and keep it rolling like that.”
Melatonin is an over-the-counter sleep aid. If there are any major health concerns from this plan, the 49ers medical staff would likely let White know immediately.
The 49ers are travelling to Australia with nine days to spare before the September 10 matchup to properly acclimatise themselves to the city.
The Rams will try to make the turnaround as short as possible, potentially landing in Australia just 24 hours before the game and leaving immediately after.
Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty ImagesThe 49ers will be adjusted to the time zone, but will also have to adjust to playing an NFL game in the morning considering the clash starts at 10:35 A.M. in Australia.
The Rams refusing to acclimatise to the time zone at least ensures their bodies are playing a normal evening time game, with this strategy working when they played in London last year.
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