San Francisco 49ers rookie Jarryd Hayne could be on the verge of having another outing on the bench as the Australian rugby league star faces an uphill battle of losing his punt return job to Reggie Bush.

Hayne was inactive in the 49ers’ 20-3 loss against the Seattle Seahawks last week following a series of fumbled punts in as many as six games. The 27-year-old rookie is looking forward to get back on the field, but Hayne may have lost his chance of being the 49ers’ primary punt returner with Bush taking his spot.

"I feel very comfortable with it," 49ers special teams coach Thomas McGaughey said when asked how he felt about Bush as punt returner, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. "As long as Reggie feels comfortable I feel comfortable and he feels really comfortable doing it."

Bush was lackluster in the punt return role against the Seahawks after letting two punts bounce and calling a fair catch for another, with only nine yards for his only return. However, the 10-year NFL veteran has also received the support of main coach Jim Tomsula, who also considered Bush as a more reliable option as backup for the team’s top running back Carlos Hyde, reports the Daily Telegraph.

According to Matt Maiocco of CNS Bay Area, it was four years since Bush last returned a punt in a regular season game following his punt return job against Seattle last week. The last time Bush returned a punt was in 2011, when he averaged 8.7 yards on six returns for the Miami Dolphins. He has a 7.9 yard career average with four touchdowns on punt returns and had 20 or more returns with the New Orleans Saints in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

“Bush replaced Jarryd Hayne in that capacity, and it appears he will remain in that role as long as he remains healthy,” Maiocco wrote.

Hayne will have a chance to get back into San Francisco’s 46-man squad if the Australian rookie could have a flawless training week, according to Roger Craig, a three-time Super Bowl winner with the 49ers. The 49ers will have a chance to get their third win of the year when they face the St Louis Rams at Edward Jones Dome in Week 8 of the 2015-2016 NFL regular season on Sunday (Monday AEDT).

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