Speculations about Jarryd Hayne's possible trade has been floating around recently as the running back and return specialist has recently delivered less than stellar performances. After being criticized by a prominent football analyst, the Australian rookie has just been ruled out by the San Francisco 49ers from their upcoming match against the Seattle Seahawks.
With their current season on the line, San Francisco has announced their decision to include Hayne in their inactive list for their game versus division rival Seattle on Friday.
A report on the 49ers' official website reads, "The one surprise is that Jarryd Hayne is inactive for the 49ers. Hayne has served as the starting punt returner for each of the team's first six games. That means that Bush and Bruce Ellington will likely handle all return duties."
Before his exclusion from the match, Hayne also received one of the harshest criticisms yet in his nascent NFL career. Peter King, an award-winning Sports Illustrated columnist and football analyst said that the 49ers' "experiment" with Haynes was "fun while it lasted" and that it needs to be rectified soon.
In King's weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column, he said that the 27-year-old player's fumbles are adding undue pressure on a team that cannot handle those mistakes. "For the second time in the first six weeks of the season, Hayne fumbled a punt, and the 49ers are not good enough to hand away potential possessions once every three games because they like the former Australian Rugby League player's potential," he explained.
After an impressive show during the pre-season which earned him his place in San Francisco's 53-man squad, Hayne had fumbled three punts (one of them due to a contact with his fellow player) and had only shown hints of his pre-season spark. Now, for the first time in his NFL career, the Australian rugby league convert has been deemed inactive for a major match.
Meanwhile, 49ers' wide receiver Brandon Lloyd has announced that he will be hanging his cleats. He made his decision known on Thursday after spending 11 NFL seasons with six different teams.
The former Illinois Fighting Illini played for six teams (San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots) in his 142-game career. He was at the top of the league in yards receiving (1,448) in 2010 which is the only year he was chosen for the Pro Bowl. He was also second-team Associated Press All-Pro for that season.
In a statement announcing his retirement, Lloyd expressed his gratitude for his former coaches and teammates. "I am so thankful for the years I spent in the NFL. I do not have one regret, and I am blessed to leave the game in such a healthy and happy place. I will do all I can to positively represent the league and its players for the rest of my life," Lloyd mentioned.
