Jarryd Hayne is homeless and unemployed, but not for long.
The Australian former rugby league star could be with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks or any of a handful of other NFL clubs by Monday (Tuesday AEDT).
The irony is the team that needs Hayne the most is the one that fired him on Saturday - the suddenly injury-ravaged San Francisco 49ers.
"I'm a Jarryd Hayne fan," 49ers coach Jim Tomsula told reporters.
The 49ers, last in the NFC West division, suffered their sixth loss in eight games on Sunday when the St Louis Rams thumped them 27-6.
Their running back unit was devastated by injury during the beating.
Reggie Bush, the player who took Hayne's punt return job two weeks ago and became the team's starting running back in St Louis, suffered a suspected season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament when he lost his footing and crashed into a wall.
The running back many 49ers fans felt should have been cut before Hayne, rookie Mike Davis, also left the game early with an injured hand.
The 49ers' best running back, Carlos Hyde, was ruled out last week with a stress fracture in his foot.
That leaves just one healthy 49ers running back, Kendall Gaskins, who was promoted from the practice squad when Hayne was fired.
Tomsula, who is under pressure to keep his job and took responsibility for the loss to the Rams, gave an odd explanation for his decision to cut Hayne for Gaskins.
"I made a decision to bring up a power back for today," Tomsula told reporters.
Gaskins, at 185cm tall and 108kg, and Hayne at 188cm and 100kg, are the 49ers' biggest running backs.
Davis is just 175cm, 98kg and has been easy prey for defensive lines with an average of just 1.3 yards per carry this season.
Gaskins didn't fare any better, managing just six yards on five carries against the Rams.
Hayne averaged 3.1 yards on his eight carries during the season.
For the 49ers to re-sign Hayne they have to hope the other 31 teams decline to pick him up before Monday (Tuesday AEDT).
If so, Hayne could be back at the 49ers' facility in Santa Clara on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).
The 49ers had hoped to sign Hayne to their practice squad, but after the injuries would likely rush him back into the 53-man team.
The problem for the 49ers is numerous teams are in need of a punt returner, with reports the Dallas Cowboys will take a look at the Australian.
The Chicago Bears could also be interested after Marc Mariani dropped two punts in the first quarter of their 23-20 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Detroit Lions were interested in Hayne at the start of the season.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who also took a look at Hayne at the start of the year, said two weeks ago his team "had a lot of thoughts about how we were going to use" Hayne.
Share
