Jarryd Hayne to keep his spot in 49ers' active roster for NFL season finale

The “Hayne Plane” will continue to take flight in the San Francisco 49ers’ last game of the 2015-2016 NFL regular season.

Jarryd Hayne is poised to keep his roster spot in the 49ers’ 53-man active squad after playing for the first time since getting relegated into the team’s practice squad. According to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News Blog, the 49ers plan to keep the Aussie NFL convert on their roster through Sunday’s (Monday AEDT) season finale game against the St Louis Rams, which also means retaining Hayne’s rights going into the 2016-2017 season.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee also believes Hayne will keep his spot in the active lineup in the Aussie’s last game of his rookie season.

“The 49ers will have the rights to Hayne for the 2016 season if he is on their active roster after Week 17,” Barrows wrote. “If not, they likely will offer him a future/reserve contract that, if signed, would make him a 49er when the 2016 season begins.”

The Australian rugby league star was activated for the first time after getting sacked from the 49ers’ active roster in Early November. The team’s growing list of injuries at the running back position gave way for Hayne to once again wear his No. 38 jersey, with starter Carlos Hyde and top backup Reggie Bush out for the season.

RB replacement Shaun Draughn, who has started the 49ers’ last six games at RB, is dealing with a knee injury, while Mike Davis, who suffered a hand injury, cannot rejoin the team until after Sunday’s game. The only remaining active RB in the 49ers’s squad aside from Hayne is Kendall Gaskins and DuJuan Harris, who impressed in his debut after posting 11 carries for a team-high 73 yards.

But according to the Sydney Morning Herald, Draughn and Davis could be available against the Rams, likely leaving the 49ers to pick between Hayne, Harris, and Gaskins for the remaining RB spot.

Hayne was the choice to start at the running back position against the Detroit Lions, playing 35 of the 49ers’ 59 offensive snaps. The 27-year-old rookie had nine carries for 27 yards and five receptions in the fourth quarter for 20 yard in their 32-17 loss against the Lions.

“I’m capable of playing at this level,” Hayne said. “Confidence in my own ability is something I have a lot of, and to be able to go out there and perform the way I did today, it shows.”