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Undrafted rookie running back JaMycal Hasty may get his first chance to shoulder a heavy workload for the 49ers when the team visits Seattle in Week 8. He’s one of two healthy running backs presently on the 53-man roster along with Jerick McKinnon, and he was the more productive of the pair last week in New England. The 49ers are actually lucky he’s still around.
While a lack of preseason games kept most undrafted rookies hidden and safe on practice squads, Hasty’s flashes in his limited regular-season action were enough to garner attention from other clubs according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“People have tried to come for him, too, this year,” Shanahan told reporters about the rookie running back. “The guy has been committed to stay here. We have expressed our plans for him and the guy had to make a tough decision a few weeks ago, whether to stay here on practice squad for another week or go to another team and he chose to stay here. He believed he’d eventually get his opportunity. We told him we didn’t know when, but it ended up happening the next week. So, he was ready and I’m glad he’s here for it.”
New practice squad rules that account for possible COVID-19 complications allow a team to flex a player from the practice squad to the active roster for two games. After each game, the player reverts back to the practice squad where they’re free to sign an NFL-player contract with any team.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area spoke with Hasty’s agent, Scott Casterline, who said the decision to stay in San Francisco instead of seeing a weekly pay increase of more than $27,000 to sign elsewhere was an easy one.
“It was real quick,” Casterline said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “He came to the conclusion, ‘I want to be here.’ And I agreed with him.”
Hasty, a Baylor product, was flexed to the active roster for the team’s Week 3 showdown against the Giants where he picked up nine yards on two carries and another nine yards one reception.
He was officially added to the active roster prior to the team’s Week 4 loss to the Dolphins. He didn’t get any touches in Week 4 or 5, but had a pair of good games the last two weeks. In the 49ers’ wins over the Rams and Patriots, Hasty racked up 94 yards on 18 carries and caught one of his two targets for 16 yards.
With Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. both battling high ankle sprains, and Tevin Coleman still working his way back from a knee injury, Hasty could quickly become a featured player in San Francisco’s stellar rushing attack. Hasty’s patience paid off for him in the way of a roster spot. Now the 49ers are hoping his patience pays off for them Sunday with a win in a very important NFC West showdown against the Seahawks.