The San Francisco 49ers promoted Jarryd Hayne to the 53-man roster over the weekend, and he ended up playing a position high 35 snaps. DuJuan Harris had the better day, but Hayne kept plenty active, with work both running and catching the ball.
All indications are that Hayne will remain on the 49ers roster this week heading into their Week 17 matchup with the St. Louis Rams. The team did not sign any free agents this week (it usually happens on Tuesday), and they do not have another running back on the practice squad. It seems safe to say Hayne will finish out the year on the 53-man roster.
The question then becomes his status moving forward. Hayne signed a three-year contract with the 49ers during the offseason, but was waived after Week 7. He subsequently signed to the practice squad, before being promoted back to the 53-man roster last weekend. When the 49ers waived Hayne in late October, his contract was effectively torn up. They still owed him guaranteed money, but his three-year contract no longer existed. He signed a practice squad contract after that, but such a contract is just for this year.
When Hayne was promoted back to the 53-man roster, he got a new contract. There was some confusion about the length of the deal, but we have some clarification. According to the NFL salary database, Hayne signed a three-year contract. The deal covers 2015, 2016 and 2017, and is the league minimum each year ($435k, $525k, $615k).
If Hayne remains on the roster through Week 17, he will be under contract with the 49ers this offseason, and thus fully expected to be a participant in the offseason workout program and training camp. Had he remained on the practice squad, he would have been a free agent who could sign a reserve/future contract as soon as the season ended. Instead, he remains under 49ers control as the team heads into the offseason.