Just hours ago, the Sydney Morning Herald stated that the Detroit Lions may not be a guaranteed to land the services of rugby star Jarryd Hayne. The 49ers were apparently making a strong push for him and Hayne officially announced today that he would play for San Francisco.
It was reported that Hayne prefers "the lifestyle of San Francisco" over Detroit.
Hayne said that his contract is a rookie underrated free agent deal. "They see me as a running back. I could end up anywhere," said Hayne. He stated that his start date would be around April 10. "Next few weeks I got to train hard and get my head around the playbook."
Hayne also stated that he would receive $100k guaranteed from his new team.
Last week, the 49ers emerged as one of the three teams that Hayne was deciding between. The other two teams were the already mentioned Lions and the Seattle Seahawks. However, it was today that the 49ers emerged as the favorite.
The former Parramatta Eels star clocked in a 4.53 40-yard time. Hayne, who is 27 years old, quit the National Rugby League only 4 months ago.
Hayne won two Dally M Medals for the NRL's player of the year in 2009 and 2014. During a press conference, Hayne shockingly announced his departure from rugby for the NFL in October.
He hopes to play running back in the NFL, but will also likely be used as a return specialist.