The San Francisco 49ers may be forced to play Australian rookie Jarryd Hayne in the last two games of the season as veteran running back Shaun Draughn adds to the team’s list of RB injuries.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee opened up on Twitter yet another possibility for “Hayne Plane” to take flight on the field. Barrows noted that if Draughn has suffered a semi-serious injury, Hayne could crack into the 49ers’ active roster.

Draughn, who was signed by the 49ers in November as a replacement for injured running backs Carlos Hyde, Reggie Bush, and Mike Davis, was a victim of another game-ending injury in San Francisco’s 24-14 defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals. Draughn left the field with a knee injury after tallying 38 yards on nine first half rushes and was later ruled out of the rest of the contest, opening up another chance for Hayne to wear his no. 38 jersey.

However, according to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, Davis, who fractured his left hand in the 49ers’ loss against the St. Louis Rams, is now eligible to return after missing six weeks of action, which brings another possibility that Hayne gets overlooked to play at running back.

According to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, the 49ers have “no idea” on how to utilise the talents of the Australian rugby league star. Kawakami noted that the 49ers have “no clue” on how to utilise Hayne’s NFL skills, insisting that the team’s coaching staff has never wanted the 27-year-old rookie in San Francisco.

The 49ers have nothing to lose in reinstating Hayne into the team’s 53-man squad. San Francisco are currently 4-10 and has lost the chance for a playoff spot a week ago. While recalling Hayne would not help in any way improve the 49ers’ doomed season, playing the 27-year-old rookie to intentionally lose the last two games would be beneficial for the franchise future in next year’s draft.

“Trying to be competitive in the final two games can only mess up the Niners’ strong draft position ... ” Dieter Kurtenbach of KNBR wrote. “So, call up Jarryd Hayne to play running back and give starts to players who have been inactive for the majority of the year. Find new, creative ways, to not get first downs, and have your defenders find their inner matador. The only way to get anything out of this season from hell is to lose.”

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.