Jarryd Hayne's first season with the San Francisco 49ers was a roller-coaster of highs and lows, so it was no surprise the final day was full of drama.
The 49ers announced the sacking of coach Jim Tomsula just two hours after Hayne celebrated with team-mates in the locker room after a 19-16 overtime win in their finale against the St Louis Rams on Sunday.
The 49ers lost 11 and won just five games in a dismal season for the five-time Super Bowl champions.
Hayne was full of praise for Tomsula.
"He has been awesome with me," Hayne told reporters.
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A change in coach places Hayne in limbo, with the prospect he might not be wanted next season.
New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton is reportedly one of the candidates to take the job.
The final two years of Hayne's contract are not guaranteed so it won't cost the 49ers a cent to cut him.
"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."
Hayne was only on the field for a single play against the Rams, with Tomsula playing three other running backs.
The former rugby league star did not mind, instead pointing to his against-the-odds achievement of quitting a multimillion-dollar career in the NRL for a long shot try at the NFL.
"The past year has been way more than what I expected," Hayne said, while laughing as his running back team-mates Kendall Gaskins and Mike Davis cracked jokes at his expense.
Hayne was so green when he first arrived at the 49ers in April he had to ask Gaskins how to put on shoulder pads.
"He also had his knee pads on upside down but we didn't tell him," Gaskins laughed.
In the early days Hayne scribbled down plays on a piece of paper and stashed it in his pants.
When he became confused on the practice field he'd pull out the cheat sheet much to the amusement of his team mates.
As rookies, Hayne and Davis had to perform team duties with one involving taking their team-mates out to a swish San Francisco restaurant.
"It set Mike and me back $US1000 ($A1,370.52) each," Hayne laughed.
"That was interesting."
The year didn't go smoothly, with Hayne dropping his first regular season punt, spilling two more and then after just six games was fired from the team.
Two days later he was signed to their practice squad and after injuries ravaged the team's other running backs he was activated for the final two games.
Hayne's only moment on the field against the Rams came in the fourth quarter when the 49ers' special teams defensive unit had an injury.
"They said, 'Just line up'," Hayne, who ran down the field and brought down the Rams' punt returner, said.
Hayne flies back to Sydney on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) and expects plenty of tears when greeted by family and friends.
It is likely the 49ers will keep him next season, with Hayne returning to the 49ers' Santa Clara headquarters in April and training with a 90-man squad that will be cut to 53 just before the 2016/17 season begins in September.
