The Facts: The San Francisco 49ers announced on Sunday that Hayne has retired from the National Football League. "I am retiring from the NFL because the Fiji Rugby Sevens team reached out to me about the opportunity to join the team for the upcoming Olympics," Hayne said in a statement. "I simply could not pass that chance up. The Olympics has been something I have admired since I was a little boy, and it is an opportunity I feel very similar to me joining the NFL."
Diehards Line:
So much for that big jump this year the Niners were expecting this season. ... Hayne originally signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent on March 3, 2015. He appeared in eight games (one start) last season and registered 17 carries for 52 yards along with six receptions for 27 yards. He also returned eight punts for 76 yards on special teams. A 28-year-old native of Minto, a suburb of Sydney in New South Wales Australia, Hayne spent the previous nine years (2006-14) in the National Rugby League (NRL).