SANTA CLARA – Jarryd Hayne is considered the 49ers’ best option on punt returns, but the club does not believe his skills translate as well on kickoffs.
“Punt return and kickoff return are two different skillsets,” 49ers special-teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey said on Wednesday. “It’s kind of like (how) you look at a running back. Some running backs are really good at running inside zone or an (isolation) running power. And some running backs are really good on the outsize zone and toss sweeps.
“So it’s kind of two different skillsets. Not to say that Jarryd can’t do it, but that’s not his strong suit.