Jarryd Hayne unlikely to make National Football League debut, says 49ers head coach

If Australian rookie Jarryd Hayne doesn’t play in the 49ers season opener Monday night, coach Jim Tomsula on Thursday justified the reasons why that would be the case, even though, Hayne indeed might debut.

AllNFL teams thrive on deception, and that’s what all of Thursday’s talk could be.Rather than announce who their return specialist will be, Tomsula and McGaughey called into question whether Hayne should suit up at all.

Fellow rookie and highly-rated running back Mike Davis is Hayne’s biggest threat ahead of the Vikings clash.

“I don’t want to be the guy downplaying his accomplishments or the excitement for the country”, Tomsula told reporters.

A depth chart posted on the club’s Facebook page lists Hayne as the second choice punt and kick-off returner behind Reggie Bush and the team’s third running back behind Carlos Hyde and Bush.

The only player on the 49ers roster who handled a punt return for the team last season is Bruce Ellington, a wide receiver who, like Bush, promises to be in uniform Monday.

Simply put, Tomsula wants Hayne tocontinue his development, but also prove if he’s versatile enough for this week’s game plan against the Vikings.

“You’re in game preparation now, so you’ve got that aspect of it”, he said. Special teams – you can catch a punt, but can you do other things? Tomsula asked at his weekly press conference. A young player that needs to mature a little bit as far as just getting experience.

“In that situation right there, for Jarryd in the preseason, that is something that we wanted to see, him to be able to field the ball naturally and kind of make that kind of play”, McGaughey said. You have to understand the preseason is the preseason and right now is right now.

TE Xavier Grimble was waived by the 49ers Saturday (Sept. 5) in the cutdown to 53 players and signed to the Steelers’ practice squad Tuesday. But, he has the ability to get to the ball, he has a nose for it just like a number of guys that we have.

“Obviously Jarryd has got the body position, the balance, the leverage points, it’s proven he has those. When to use them”. His four returns of 20-plus yards were also second-best amongst punt returners with more than five attempts this preseason. That’s the thing. And with the schematic that we’re going through, what we’re talking about here, you know, how are you practicing within that scheme.