NFL Rumors: San Francisco 49ers Plot Jarryd Hayne Comeback; Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert Reject Aussie Return?

By Mitch de Leon
San Francisco 49ers Jarryd Hayne
Jarryd Hayne celebrates with Australian fans after the San Francisco 49ers win against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. (Facebook/Jarryd Hayne)

The San Francisco 49ers appear to be picking up the slack this NFL offseason as the pieces of their puzzle are slowly falling into place. With an unconventional head coach in Chip Kelly, who previously worked with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Colin Kaepernick team seems to be getting back on track. In fact, the highly anticipated Jarryd Hayne return in the NFL is also expected to be made possible by the change in playing style of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Australian rugby star entered the NFL with much fanfare. With fans all over the globe, Jarryd Hayne has become a favorite among the football stars. Hence, the San Francisco 49ers was pushed on the center stage when they finally signed the punter. However, fumbles plagued the career of Jarryd Hayne and his one season in the NFL quickly turned into a nightmare for the seasoned rugby star.

While some analysts believe that Jarryd Hayne was not fit for the NFL, fans and followers of the Australian star supported him all the way. Despite his limited minutes in the gridiron, the rugby player turned pro football hopeful managed to attract media attention and loyal fans. Hence, it comes as no surprise that the San Francisco 49ers are reportedly mulling over re-signing Jarryd Hayne.

However, it seems that the feeling is not mutual for Jarryd Hayne and the NFL team. In his recent comments regarding his football stint, the rugby star shared his struggles to keep up with the pro football league. The Australian player also noted how inadequate the training were to prepare him for the gridiron.

"I need to be getting game time and you just can't get that over there (in the NFL) because of the way it works," said Jarryd Hayne when asked of a potential NFL return. The former San Francisco 49ers star added, "The offence is only on for a certain amount of time and then there's five other running backs."

Hayne further shared, "If there was second division team where I could get those mental reps of being on the field, 100 percent I'd go back to the NFL. I'm at the end of my career where I really (have) just got to get on the field. I just want to be on the field. I've played eight games in two years. If I went back there to the NFL it'd be one of those things where I'd be a second or third string guy helping out but not really getting a lot of game time."

What do you think? Should the San Francisco 49ers convince Jarryd Hayne to return? Will the Australian star be a good fit to the Chip Kelly team?

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