Jarryd Hayne revived his NFL career after starting for the San Francisco 49ers at the running back position on Sunday’s 32-17 loss against the Detroit Lions.

Hayne, who has not been in any American football action in the last two months, finally got recalled and promoted back into the active roster to take over the team’s running back spot. The Australian rugby league star was the surprising choice to start at the RB position against the Lions, and he played 35 of the 49ers’ 59 offensive snaps while posting nine carries for 27 yards. It was a decent performance for the 27-year-old rookie, and according to Niners' play-by-play caller Ted Robinson, Hayne finally looked like an NFL running back.

“Well, Jarryd Hayne was better. He was much better yesterday,” Robinson told KNBR Radio. “Next year he’s got a shot, with another year of development, to be a player on this team.”

Hayne also felt he improved his play after spending time on the team’s practice squad. Hayne said he was happy on taking the field once again and is convinced that he could play American football at a high level.

“With the amount of reps I got on the (scout) team and kind of being by myself the past couple weeks on the practice squad, it’s been huge,” Hayne said. “To get that much experience, it’s invaluable because I’ve obviously got so much to catch up on.”

Meanwhile, Cam Inman of San Jose Mercury News noted that the 49ers plan to keep Hayne on their roster through Sunday’s season finale against the St Louis Rams, which also means retaining the Aussie’s rights going into the 2016-2017 season.

However, the competition for Hayne to keep his starting role would become stiffer with DuJuan Harris’ strong debut and Shaun Draughn’s effectiveness in the lineup, reports James Brady of SB Nation’s Niners Nation.

Hayne was waived early last month before being signed into the 49ers’ practice squad, where he spent time understanding American football and honing his skills.

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