Despite a rough start to his NFL career, Australian superstar Jarryd Hayne still has the full support of San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula and the rest of the organization.
Tomsula spoke about Hayne’s first start, which began with a flubbed punt return, and assured reporters of his faith in the electric former Rugby League playmaker. Tomsula noted Hayne was not benched after his fumble and that he would have remained in that role if not for the injury to Reggie Bush.
“We put him out there for the next two punts,” coach Jim Tomsula said this week, per the team’s official website. “He would have stayed out there all day.”
Tomsula then detailed the reasons why Hayne wasn’t as much of an impact player as we saw during preseason on the two punts he did field, concluding with, “…there’s a belief and a faith there,” as it pertains to Hayne as a primary return man and playmaker for the 49ers.
Because of Bush’s injury, which is reportedly a “week-to-week” thing at this time, Hayne will likely be the primary backup to starting running back Carlos Hyde until Bush comes back. He was not exactly explosive in this capacity in the season opener, gaining 13 yards on four carries and seven yards on one catch. That said, he didn’t exactly have much running room when he got his chances.
The 49ers appear to be gearing up to give the “Hayne Plane” more chances to make his mark. And, based on what we saw during preseason play, that can only be a good thing for the franchise, and for Hayne. He is a magnificent runner after he gets his hands on the ball and routinely makes people miss.
Provided his nerves don’t get the best of him in future games, the “Hayne Plane” is set to take off in the weeks to come.