Jarryd Hayne Retires From NFL

The flash-in-the-pan NFL career of Australian rugby league sensation Jarryd Hayne is over. The 28-year-old San Francisco running back today announced his retirement, expressing interest in instead representing his nation of origin, Fiji, in the upcoming Rugby Sevens at the 2016 Olympic games.

Hayne shocked Australia in October 2014 with the announcement that he would be quitting the National Rugby League to try his hand at the NFL. Despite being a two-time NRL MVP – including the reigning co-MVP at the time of his decision – many expected the competitive NFL to make short work of Hayne, who would be back to being a big fish in a small pond soon enough.

Instead, the “Hayne Plane” made headlines in both countries during the 2015 preseason. His hard-running style and deceptive elusiveness endeared him to fans of underdogs everywhere.

Hayne’s determination ultimately earned him a final roster spot with the 49ers, but his workload grinded to a steady halt once the regular season began. A number of forgettable runs and some untimely fumbles on special teams relegated him to irrelevancy by the end of the year. As of today, he’s out of the league for good.

Although it was considered an achievement for Hayne to simply walk onto a roster in the first place, there will be many Aussie fans disappointed he won’t stick it out for one more training camp. For all his shortcomings in Philadelphia, new head coach Chip Kelly has a knack for recognising unique skill sets in fringe players, and he sounded genuinely excited to work with Hayne earlier this offseason.

For now, the multi-sport athlete’s desire to play Rugby Sevens – a fast-paced, free flowing game featuring drastically shortened halves and only seven players per team – could be blocked by a technicality. The Olympic rules demand that any participant cannot have played a sport in the last six months that didn’t comply with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s guidelines, of which the NFL is not a party.

The news has raised some doubts about where Hayne will go from here, but one thing’s for sure: his NFL dream is over.