SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The grand experiment would seem to have been a success ... so long as Jarryd Hayne makes the San Francisco 49ers' initial 53-man roster.
Hayne, the former Australian rugby league star who was seen as more novelty than prospect when he signed with the Niners for $100,000 in the spring, was more than entertaining in the preseason; he was a serviceable player.
But did he do enough to stick?
“He belongs here,” said receiver Quinton Patton.
“He can help us a lot,” added receiver/returner Bruce Ellington.
“Jarryd’s a tough guy,” said coach Jim Tomsula.
Nothing will be official, of course, until after Saturday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline but Hayne’s production was more than impressive.
His 175 rushing yards, on 25 carries, was second in the NFL, behind the Detroit Lions’ Zach Zenner, and Haynes’ 7.0 yards-per-carry average led the league.
Plus, Hayne was third among all punt returners with 163 yards on 10 returns and started seeing time as a gunner on the punt coverage team Thursday night. Yes, he made a tackle, beating double coverage.
“For the first time I was comfortable and got my pads low, which is good, so it’s good to be working on that all the time and finally get that down pat,” Hayne said after rushing for a game-high 58 yards on 10 carries and returning three punts for 43 yards against the Chargers. He also caught two passes for 17 yards.
“Yeah, I feel like it was good."
The loudest play Hayne made, though, was when he lowered his left shoulder into Chargers cornerback Lowell Rose along the right sideline at the end of a 12-yard pickup on a screen pass and absolutely flattened Rose.
“Our coaches are always [talking] about lowering our shoulders, you know, getting ready for contact,” Hayne said. “So it was just a situation that, like I said, all that training, all the hours on the field, to finally see it come together.
“You know, technique and just working every week about lowering my pads and playing through someone, to understand it tonight and really lower my pads, it was exciting.”
Probably even enough to make a roster.
