49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell sparked outrage after he refused to enter the game during the third quarter on Thursday night, following the return of Dre Greenlaw from injury.
Campbell had been a key player, starting 12 of the first 13 games this season and logging 90% of the defensive snaps. However, he was sidelined during San Francisco’s 12-6 defeat against the Los Angeles Rams, as Greenlaw made his comeback after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon sustained in last season’s Super Bowl.
Greenlaw recorded eight tackles in the first half but exited the game in the third quarter due to Achilles soreness. This was the moment when Campbell declined to step onto the field.
After the game, Coach Kyle Shanahan revealed, “He said he didn’t want to play today,” a statement that left the team reeling as they faced the reality of playoff elimination with a 6-8 record.
Shanahan expressed his disbelief, noting that he had never encountered such a situation in his coaching career and hinted at the need for the team to address this behavior moving forward.
“As far as I’m concerned, that guy is retired. I don’t want him anywhere around my football team,” he added, highlighting the seriousness of Campbell’s decision.
Cohost Danny Parkins characterized Campbell’s actions as “egregious,” especially in light of the sacrifices made by teammates like Charvarius Ward, Trent Williams, and Ricky Pearsall, who have battled personal challenges just to compete this season.
“Charvarius Ward lost his 1-year-old daughter this year,” Parkins noted. “Trent Williams, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, faced the heartbreak of his wife delivering a stillborn child while working hard to recover from injury. Ricky Pearsall was shot and returned to play. I cannot fathom what those players must think about Campbell’s decision.”
Campbell’s refusal to play left his teammates feeling bewildered and frustrated.
“He’s a professional,” Ward stated. “If he didn’t want to play, he shouldn’t have dressed out. He could have communicated that before the game. To me, that was selfish. It hurt the team. Dre went down, and we needed a linebacker. For him to do that, it’s selfish, in my opinion. He’s probably going to get cut soon.”
Campbell, who is 31 years old, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the 49ers after being released by the Green Bay Packers in March.
Although he was named an All-Pro in 2021 while with the Packers, his performance has declined over the past two seasons. While he had some standout plays with San Francisco this year, he often struggled with tackling and coverage.
Tight end George Kittle remarked, “It’s one person making a selfish decision. I’ve never been around anybody that’s done that, and I hope I’m never around anyone who does that again.”
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