The NFL marked the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks with a pregame memorial ceremony before its first-ever regular season game in Australia, held in Melbourne between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. As it was already Friday morning locally, this was the league's only anniversary tribute actually staged on the date itself, and organisers made a point of ensuring the occasion was marked with due solemnity despite the overseas setting.

A sold-out crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground stood for the national anthems, with New York group Infinity Song performing the "Star-Spangled Banner" and singer Cody Simpson leading "Advance Australia Fair", while US Marines and sailors carried the colours alongside the Australian Defence Force. The tribute was delivered through the NFL's Salute to Service partnership with the Tragedy Assistance Program, and the league also supported a week of events for bereaved military families, including a ceremony at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. Netflix, which streamed the match, aired a segment featuring commissioner Roger Goodell recalling the day of the attacks, while former Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde recounted his push for the team to forfeit rather than play the following week; the NFL ultimately postponed all Week 2 games in 2001, resuming on 23 September. Further commemorations were planned for the league's Sunday and Monday night games.