Jarryd Hayne, the former National Rugby League star who signed over the offseason with the San Francisco 49ers, has been promoted back onto the active roster for this week's game against the Detroit Lions, the team announced Saturday. In a related move, they placed guard Alex Boone on injured reserve.
Hayne was previously active for the first six games of the season, during which he recorded eight carries for 25 yards, one catch for 7 yards, and seven punt returns for 72 yards. He was then cut on Oct. 31, but cleared waivers and re-signed with the team's practiced squad on Nov. 2.
Hayne was not initially expected to make the team out of training camp, but he impressed the coaches with his abilities as a returner and showed off surprisingly deft ability as a running back as well. He finished the preseason with 25 carries for 175 yards, three catches for 35 yards, and 10 punt returns for 163 yards. His 7.0 yards-per-carry average led all players during the preseason.
He opened the year as San Francisco's punt returner, but muffed the first kick of his NFL career. He rarely got snaps with the offense, even amidst injuries in the backfield. It's not yet known how Hayne fill figure into the mix, but he will presumably see some action on special teams, just as he had earlier in the season.
