 On 15 October 2014, Hayne announced during a press conference that he would be departing rugby league in pursuit of a career in the NFL.Prior to his announcement, Hayne was reportedly in negotiations with Parramatta to sign a new five-year contract worth $1.35 million a season, which would equate to more than 20% of the NRL's 2015 salary cap of $6.55 million, which would have been the largest playing contract ever offered to an NRL player.On 3 March 2015, the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) announced they had signed undrafted free agent Hayne to a three-year contract with a base salary of US$1,575,000 over duration of the contract and a US$115,000 guarantee should he not make 53-man roster in his first preseason.