Jarryd Hayne's NFL future uncertain after 49ers sack Jim Tomsula

Jarryd Hayne may have to start over again to get a significant role with the San Francisco 49ers following the firing of head coach Jim Tomsula at the end of the NFL regular season.

The 49ers are set to assign a new head coach after the team fired Tomsula just two hours after San Francisco’s 19-16 overtime win over the St. Louis Rams in their season finale. While the change could give Hayne the change to renew his role with the 49ers, 49ers beat writer Cam Inman believes a new coach may have implications in Hayne’s campaign for the next season.

According to Inman, the 49ers will want to hire an offensive-minded coach to start the 2016-2017 season since San Francisco ranked last in the league in scoring with 14.9 points and second-to-last in total yards with 303.8 per game. Hayne’s play-making potential could be of use if the team would opt for such type of a coach, but it is in the special teams where the Australian rugby league star will likely be “best served.”

“Hayne’s NFL future, if there is one, likely will be best served as a special-teams maven who can either return punts and kickoffs or cover or block on those units,” Inman wrote on Fox Sports. “Simply put, he hadn’t made enough strides to convince them he’s a polished option at running back, even though that’s a position they never really expected to use him at when the season started.”

Peter Mitchell of the Sydney Morning Herald also thinks a change in coach would put Hayne’s future in “limbo” as the Australian sensation might not be wanted by the team’s next head coach. Moreover, it's the final two years of Hayne’s contract which means it would not cost the 49ers to cut him from their roster.

However, there is reason to believe that the 49ers are planning to keep Hayne until next season. Hayne, albeit a very limited playing time, was in the 49ers’ active roster against the Rams which means San Francisco would be able to retain his rights for the next season.

Hayne started at running back in his first game since getting demoted into the 49ers’ practice squad in November last year. In his first career start, the 27-year-old rookie received 35 of the 49ers’ 53 offensive snaps, although it was probably a way of gauging Hayne’s improvement after spending time in the scouts.

Inman also noted that DuJuan Harris, who signed two weeks ago from the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, would likely be the “more favourable” option as running back if the 49ers sign him back for next season. Carlos Hyde, Mike Davis and Shaun Draughn are also in this list of more viable choices for the team’s RB spot, making Hayne the least candidate at the spot.

Meanwhile, Hayne was full of praise for Tomsula despite not getting plenty of action under the latter’s regime and admitted that the now ex-coach of the 49ers has been “awesome” with him. Despite the looming uncertainty in his role with the 49ers, Hayne does not seem to be fazed of what lies ahead of him for the 2016-2017 NFL season.

"It's up to the Niners if they still want me," Hayne said. "That's out of my control and now I'm on holiday mode."