Jarryd Hayne’s future as an NFL and 49ers player looked bleak

OLYMPIC glory was far more enticing than returning to practice squad obscurity. In the end, that was Hayne’s reality.

Jarryd Hayne’s career in the NFL is over.

CHRIS Biderman has been covering the 49ers in San Francisco for Associated Press and The Niners Wire, part of the USA Today sport network.

OLYMPIC glory was far more enticing than returning to practice squad obscurity. In the end, that was Hayne’s reality.

Last season, San Francisco opened with four running backs on the roster. This summer, at best, Hayne would have been sixth on the depth chart heading into training camp.

It’s a cold, hard fact that Hayne needed to improve drastically to make the 49ers roster in 2016 and continue his NFL dream for a second season.

Jarryd Hayne’s career in the NFL is over.

When Hayne was approached by Fiji about becoming a potential rugby sevens Olympian, the former rugby league star faced the decision between landing on San Francisco’s practice squad, or the possibility of starring in the Rio games with a once-in-a-lifetime shot at an Olympic medal.

In those terms, moving on from the NFL as a running back with to play a game that featured many similar skillsets to his rugby league background must have been an easy decision.

Consider: after making the 49ers’ 53-man roster last summer, Hayne committed the cardinal sin as a punt returner when he fumbled against the Vikings, Packers and Ravens, including his first ever attempt in the opener.

His lack of confidence catching punts was troubling after appearing sure-handed during training camp and the pre-season. And no matter how explosive Hayne looked in exhibition games — with an astounding 18-yard average on punt returns — return men have no value if they make fumbling a habit.

After his third fumble, Hayne was made inactive for the first time Oct. 22 against the Seattle Seahawks. Before the next game against the Rams, Hayne was waived, giving all 32 teams an opportunity to sign him. But he went unsigned and landed on San Francisco’s practice squad, ineligible to play in games. Members of the practice squad can be signed by other teams at any time. But that didn’t happen for Hayne.

Jarryd Hayne in action for Fiji in 2008.

In the Rams game, the 49ers lost running backs Reggie Bush and Mike Davis to severe injuries. But instead of promoting Hayne, the team added free agents off the street. Uninspiring names like Shaun Draughn, Pierre Thomas, Travaris Cadet and DuJuan Harris were added before Hayne was considered.

Those decisions were telling. Hayne worked in San Francisco’s system since the spring and was passed over for jobless free agents. That typically doesn’t happen, but Hayne wasn’t a typical case. He was playing football for the first time. Those others had lifetimes of experience, which the 49ers preferred.

Hayne didn’t return to game action until the 49ers were well out of the playoff race in December. He appeared in the final two games of the season, running for 27 modest yards on nine carries in a loss to the Detroit Lions before not getting any touches on offence in the finale against the Rams.

This season at running back, the 49ers brought back starter Carlos Hyde, Draughn, Harris and Davis. They also selected Kelvin Taylor in the recent the NFL draft. Hayne’s chances at moving up the depth chart were slim at best, particularly if the team didn’t trust him to return punts.

There was also a coaching change. San Francisco brought in Chip Kelly, an offensive coach with an expertise in the running game. The prospect of Hayne in Kelly’s system was intriguing. But Kelly was unlikely to have the same level of patience as last year’s coach Jim Tomsula, who had a background on defence. Hayne had to learn an entirely new system.

What does Jarryd Hayne’s future hold.

Could Hayne have made the team? It was a possibility if he continued to improve on the same trajectory he did in 2015, or if the 49ers dealt with another injury moving him up the depth chart.

But nothing is certain in the cutthroat world of the NFL and Hayne needed to make a decision on his future. He decided that future would not be in the NFL.

Originally published as Jarryd Hayne’s future as an NFL and 49ers player looked bleak