Jarryd Hayne NFL: 49ers expect Aussie to play better next season

The San Francisco 49ers are expecting Australian rugby league star Jarryd Hayne to get back next season and get a better feel for the game in his sophomore year.

49ers general manager Trent Baalke addressed the media at the 2016 NFL Combine and talked about some of the team’s update, including Hayne’s second year in San Francisco. Baalke last season became a learning experience for Hayne and he expects the NFL convert to come back next year with a better understanding of the American football.

"I think if you asked him [Hayne], he’d tell you his eyes got opened pretty quick, especially when you go from preseason games to the regular season games just the difference in tempo and everything that goes with that,” Baalke said, reports the 49ers’ official website. "[He] learned a lot, did some good things for us and [we’re] expecting him to come back and have a better feel for the game."

Hayne is set to return in San Francisco next season after the 49ers retained his rights by including the 28-year-old in the active roster for the team’s final game last season against the St Louis Rams. However, with new coach Chip Kelly calling the shots, Hayne must impress again once the offseason works start.

In an exclusive interview last month with Michael Chammas of the Sydney Morning Herald, Baalke talked about Hayne’s stint with the 49ers. Baalke cited the significance of a player’s second season and predicts Hayne will have another big preseason this year, equivalent to what the Aussie running back did last year when he took NFL by storm.

"I think this off-season will be huge," Baalke said. "They always say the biggest jump for a player is between year one and year two. We expect the same for Jarryd. He knows what it takes now, he knows what he needs to work on, and I know he is focused on working on those things this off-season."

Hayne will start his offseason workout programs with the 49ers on Apr. 4, according to the NFL’s official website.