NFL Trade Rumors: San Francisco 49ers Refuse Jarryd Hayne Deal; Colin Kaepernick Out, Tim Tebow In?

By Mitch de Leon
San Francisco 49ers Jarryd Hayne
Jarryd Hayne #38 kneels with other players in a prayer ceremony on the field after the game. AFP

The San Francisco 49ers had a tough season this year. With the injury of Colin Kaepernick, the once widely anticipated Super Bowl contenders fell behind the rest of the NFL teams. Following their failure to make it to the playoffs, the San Francisco 49ers made a number of roster cuts and changes in the coaching staff. One of their most drastic decisions is the move to bring in Chip Kelly from the Philadelphia Eagles as head coach.

While Kelly proved to be incapable of meshing with former Dallas Cowboys star DeMarco Murray and Sam Bradford in the Philadelphia Eagles, critics feel that the head coach will have better luck with the San Francisco 49ers. However, Kelly is widely known to be a very strict and unconventional coach - the type who is not afraid to take risks at any given point. Hence, sports analysts believe that no one is safe from getting cut in the San Francisco 49ers roster.

Among the NFL stars who garnered media and public attention in the recently concluded NFL season is none other than Jarryd Hayne. The former rugby star opted to leave Australia to follow his dream of becoming an NFL star. Since then, the Hayne Plane has been the subject of some news stories and fandom. His journey eventually came to a heartbreaking halt when the San Francisco 49ers decided mid-season to put him back to the practice squad - a step backward from his initial achievement of making it to the 53-man roster.

With the entry of Kelly into the San Francisco 49ers, fans of Hayne are anxious to know how the Aussie star will fair with the new coach. The former Philadelphia Eagles head coach is known not to have the patience for newcomers in the league. Hence, it looks like Hayne might not be able to make the cut once again this year.

The uncertainty over Hayne's future was further fueled by the comments of Trent Baalke. The San Francisco 49ers general manager, albeit optimistic, remains noncommittal on the next steps involving the Hayne Plane.

"We haven't spent a ton of time speaking about individual players on a roster yet but I'll tell you he's well aware of Jarryd and Jarryd's story, as is everyone in the National Football League by now," said Baalke via the Sydney Morning Herald, referring to Kelly's potential plans for Hayne. He added, "He's excited to get his hands on him, the whole coaching staff is. We'll find out in short order who fits and who doesn't fit."

Meanwhile, rumors are rife that Kaepernick might not see the end of his battle for the lead quarterback post. Due to his injuries, the San Francisco 49ers had the chance to see how other quarterbacks on the football team will fill in his shoes. Surprisingly, Blaine Gabbert stepped up and successfully replaced Kaepernick. With that in mind, the San Francisco 49ers are expected to find another healthy quarterback to ensure that Gabbert will not get overworked next NFL season.

The name that comes to mind is Tim Tebow. Since Kelly had seen the potential of the Christian football star last season, rumors are rife that the aspiring NFL quarterback might make the cut this time. In the past, the head coach noted that Tebow was not a good fit for the Philadelphia Eagles. With a new team, the next NFL season might be the time for Tebow to finally get back in the field and show off the skills that landed him the honor of becoming the youngest Heisman Trophy winner.

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