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The 49ers boarded a plane Thursday for a 16-hour flight to Melbourne, Australia, for their Week 1 game against the Rams. They hope they left all their baggage behind in San Francisco. Coming off a 12-5 season, the 49ers still look like a contender entering 2026. Kyle Shanahan is still calling offensive plays, Brock Purdy is still handing off to Christian McCaffrey and throwing to George Kittle, and the defense is still led by Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. But the 49ers have had one distraction after the next, packing a decade’s worth of scandal, dysfunction, and plain weirdness into one offseason. It began the day after the Super Bowl, when former Patriots defensive end Keion White was shot in the foot at a party. “Football players don’t just get shot every day,” White told The Athletic. “I mean, I guess they do on this team.” The scandals involves two of the three most important people in the organization, the head coach and owner. Shanahan was limited to start training camp after suffering a concussion, broken ribs and nose, and facial lacerations that required 40 stitches in a car accident. The accident itself isn’t a scandal, but the way it has been handled has been. If everything is on the up and up, no one is acting like it. After asking local reporters to keep the accident quiet for 11 days, Shanahan said he was at fault for distracted driving, and intimated the Tesla’s autopilot could have played a factor. Yet the Palo Alto, Calif., police suspiciously won’t release the accident report to media or the public. Shanahan is now back in his full capacity, but “I think that’s kind of a joke that people think that’s a distraction to our team,” he said. Shanahan’s accident, though, is nothing compared to the scandal engrossing owner Jed York, who was arrested last month in a trailer park near Youngstown, Ohio, as part of a prostitution sting. “We all have social media, so we see things,” Warner said. “We’re just trying to get better as a football team, and that personal situation, let it stay personal with him.” The story immediately evokes Robert Kraft’s arrest outside a Florida massage parlor in 2019. But while Kraft got the charges tossed in court, thereby avoiding NFL punishment, York already pled guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct, paying $1,150 in fines and serving a day in jail. He has self-suspended from the team, and the NFL will likely impose its own penalty, though the public shame is by far the biggest punishment. Through this arrest, we also learned that York and his wife got divorced earlier this year, and he moved full time to Youngstown, to live near his parents. Shanahan downplayed the effect of York’s absence, but it will be more difficult to communicate about trades and other major decisions. “Obviously, it’s a very tough situation,” Shanahan said. “Whether he’s here in the building or a text away or on a phone call, that doesn’t change anything.” The 49ers’ dysfunction has also been plentiful. It centers around Brandon Aiyuk, their former star receiver who has nuked his career with bizarre behavior. He left the team last year while rehabbing his torn ACL, allowing the 49ers to place him on the reserve/left squad list and void his $27 million guaranteed salary for this season. Aiyuk has spent his offseason posting videos to social media threatening the team and demanding it trades or cuts him so he can play for the Commanders, but the 49ers don’t owe Aiyuk any favors, nor does Washington seem to want him. All he has to do is show up to the facility, demand to be taken back, and the 49ers would have to release him to avoid the $27 million obligation, but Aiyuk either doesn’t have anyone in his corner telling him this, or refuses to believe it. The 49ers also have had a ton of injuries this training camp, as usual. Ricky Pearsall, their first-round pick from 2024, will miss the season after his knee didn’t heal well and he needed another surgery. Mykel Williams, last year’s first-round pick, had just one sack as a rookie and will start the season on the physically unable to perform list as he returns from a torn ACL. Christian Kirk, one of the veteran receivers signed to replace Aiyuk, will start the season on injured reserve with a calf injury. Mike Evans, signed to be the new No. 1 receiver, missed a good chunk of camp with groin, quad, and adductor injuries. Tight end Kittle (Achilles) and defensive end Bosa (ACL) finally returned to practice this week, but will likely be slow at the start of the season, particularly Bosa. Then there is the just plain weird. The 49ers hired a team of scientists in March to test whether there was anything to the theory that an electrical substation located near their practice facility is contributing to their injuries. The team said the scientists debunked the myth, but the number of injuries this training camp helps it persist. And there is Daejon Love, who is not affiliated with the organization in any way, but was arrested in late August for scamming more than $1.3 million from 26 women while pretending to be a 49er. “Like, nobody questioned it?” rookie defensive end Romello Height told the San Francisco Chronicle. “All I could do is laugh at it.” With the offseason the 49ers had, all they can do is laugh, too. CONTRACT TALK Gonzalez not alone in wanting to get paid The Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez is not the only player still angling for a new contract. Among the biggest names: ▪ Rams WR Puka Nacua: Eligible for a new deal since March, Nacua should be in line for a contract similar or even ahead of the $42.1 million pact signed by Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But off-field issues — most notably a woman’s lawsuit accusing him of assault, but also other general behavior — has complicated matters. Nacua went to rehab this summer, and it’s unclear if the Rams are going to make him play out this season before deciding whether to reward him. ▪ Texans QB C.J. Stroud: General manager Nick Caserio said the Texans’ season opener is the deadline for getting an extension done, and I wouldn’t expect a deal. The Texans’ offer likely isn’t overly appealing given Stroud’s backward slide the last two years and especially poor showing in last year’s playoffs. Stroud almost certainly wouldn’t be willing to settle for a middle-of-the-road contract and should take this year to try to play his way into an elite contract. ▪ Ravens QB Lamar Jackson: General manager Eric DeCosta said last week he’s “optimistic” the franchise can reach a new deal with Jackson by next March. But DeCosta had hoped to sign Jackson to a new deal this offseason, and it never came to fruition, mostly because Jackson didn’t engage. His contract expires after 2027, but the lack of an extension is starting to create the impression that Jackson may want out. ▪ Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr.: He hasn’t made a Pro Bowl or All Pro team yet, but the Steelers’ second-round pick from 2023 is still seeking an elite contract, likely just south of Gonzalez’s demands. He didn’t practice all camp until he was activated last week from the PUP list, and unlike Gonzalez, hasn’t committed to suiting up for Week 1. “I don’t know. I got to talk to the guys upstairs and my agents about that,” Porter Jr. said. ▪ Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield: The Buccaneers seem willing to engage Mayfield in negotiations, but Mayfield said he wants to play out the season. His tantrum at the beginning of camp rankled some folks inside the building, and his future in Tampa Bay is cloudy. “Right now, we’re all focused on — I’ve been waiting to say this for a long time — it’s on to Cincinnati,” Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said of their Week 1 opponent. ETC. What’s trending? Four quarterbacks. The Patriots were a rarity in 2000 when Bill Belichick kept rookie Tom Brady as the fourth quarterback on the 53-man roster. In 2026, keeping four QBs is the hottest trend. Three teams currently have four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, and four other teams kept four including the practice squad. “Obviously when you do that, you’re taking away a spot from another place in the team,” Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers said. “But at the same time … I think those four are part of the best 53.” The Steelers are threading the needle of going for it in 2026 while also keeping an eye on the future, keeping veteran Mason Rudolph behind Rodgers in case they need a spot start, while also keeping two developmental youngsters, Will Howard and Drew Allar. The Falcons kept four, a sign that they don’t know what they’re going to get out of Michael Penix, and are disappointed with Tua Tagovailoa. They also kept 10-year backup Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand. The Eagles surprisingly kept four quarterbacks, which may not be a great sign for Jalen Hurts as he enters a make-or-break season. Andy Dalton was signed because of his experience in the Eagles’ new offensive scheme, but the team is also carrying Tanner McKee and Cole Payton for now. “It’s just such a valuable position,” Eagles GM Howie Roseman said. The Commanders and Vikings are carrying three quarterbacks plus one on the practice squad, a sign that the Vikings don’t know what Kyler Murray will give them, and the Commanders aren’t sure if Jayden Daniels (or Marcus Mariota) can stay healthy. The Bengals kept two on the 53 and two on the practice squad, including 40-year-old journeyman Josh Johnson, an extra layer of protection behind the Joes (Joe Burrow and 41-year-old Joe Flacco). The Jaguars also traded for Quinn Ewers and kept two and two, a sign that they don’t love their backups behind Trevor Lawrence. Double vision After the Steelers’ loss to the Patriots in the 2015 season opener, coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that his team had problems with their headsets during the game, saying “that’s always the case” when it plays in Gillette Stadium. But Tomlin didn’t see anything wrong with the Patriots’ tactic of creating an optical illusion with the video boards when opposing teams lined up for kicks, as exposed on X last week by a former NFL analytics coach. “I saw the piece you’re talking about. It didn’t strike a chord with me, to be quite honest,” Tomlin, now an analyst for NBC’s Sunday Night Football, said Thursday on a conference call. “I think you see little nuances from different organizations and different venues that try to create an advantage, if you will. But there are strict guidelines about what can transpire in stadium during the course of a game, and so, I don’t know the impact of it. Any differences statistically might just be environmental, as well. It’s challenging to kick in New England in November and December and January.” Low expectations The Dolphins enter the season with the lowest predicted win total (4.5) and second-lowest Super Bowl odds behind the Cardinals. This after they ripped off the band-aid and took all of their salary cap hits at once, obliterating the roster for this year. Per OverTheCap.com, Miami is spending just $188 million cash on the active roster, with league average at $317 million, and also has the league’s youngest average age of 25.2. Still, new coach Jeff Hafley may want a mulligan for a comment he made to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith last week. “Success is not going to be measured in wins and losses this year, and I know nobody wants to hear that,” said Hafley, the former Boston College coach. “I just think this year’s so much about developing who we are as a football team, finding the right guys and by the end of the year saying, ‘We’ve got something real powerful moving forward.’ ” Hafley’s not wrong, but he shouldn’t have said the quiet part out loud. If you’re trying to build a program and establish a culture, the last thing you should be telling players and fans is that wins don’t matter. Patriots-Seahawks When the Patriots face the Seahawks this week, it will mark just the fifth game since 1948 held on a Wednesday, and the second time for the NFL’s Kickoff Game. The first was Giants-Cowboys in 2012, which the league moved up a day to avoid a conflict with President Obama’s address at the Democratic National Convention. Patriots-Seahawks was placed on Wednesday to accommodate Rams-49ers in Australia, which has to be played on Thursday because of the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which prohibits the NFL from playing Friday games after the first Friday in September. The game will have a distinct Seattle feel, with Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready playing the national anthem and grunge band Soundgarden reuniting (with special guests) for a halftime concert. NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth believes the Patriots will put up a better fight than they did in February’s 29-13 loss to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. “You don’t add A.J. Brown and Romeo Dobbs with a guy with the ability to throw the deep ball like Drake Maye does and not get better, not be more intimidating as an offense,” Collinsworth said. “I think it’s a different football team, and I expect, honestly, a better game than what we got in the Super Bowl.” Extra points The Titans committed another unforced error last week in pulling the credential of former radio host and current YouTuber Jared Stillman. The Titans told Stillman it was because he’s no longer affiliated with a local radio station, but the timing is suspicious, coming days after Stillman went viral over a fairly innocuous question to Cam Ward asking how he would assess his play this training camp. The Titans now put a blaring spotlight on the issue and come across as overly sensitive … Fernando Mendoza is Kirk Cousins’s backup for the Raiders, becoming the first quarterback drafted No. 1 not to start Week 1 since Mayfield in 2018, and just the fourth out of the last 15. Jared Goff (2016) and JaMarcus Russell (2007) also sat in Week 1. But the history of quarterbacks drafted in the top-three suggests that Mendoza will get into the lineup by October and start at least 10 games as a rookie … While the 49ers arrived in Australia a week early, the Rams are getting in and out, leaving Los Angeles on Wednesday and arriving less than 24 hours before kickoff. The Rams did that for last year’s game in London and beat the Jaguars, 35-7 … The Bills are already ripping up their grass field and installing a new surface after large chunks were ripped up during their preseason opener. The first game at the new Highmark Stadium is on Thursday night of Week 2 … Von Miller didn’t cut a check to Cowboys fullback Hunter Luepke to get jersey No. 40. Instead, the linebacker gave Luepke equity in his chicken farm. “He’s a part owner of Greener Pastures Chicken, the chicken of champions,” Miller said, via the Dallas Morning News. Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com.