49ers Call Out De’Vondre Campbell’s Decision to Refuse Playing Time
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — During Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers faced a growing list of injuries at linebacker. By the middle of the third quarter, with Dre Greenlaw dealing with knee soreness and Dee Winters sidelined by a neck injury, the team turned to veteran linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to step in.
Campbell declined.
Instead of taking the field, Campbell remained on the sideline, and by the fourth quarter, he walked to the locker room with a towel draped over his head without playing a single snap.
After the 49ers’ 12-6 loss at Levi’s Stadium, head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed frustration over Campbell’s actions. Shanahan confirmed that the veteran chose not to play despite the team’s depleted lineup.
“He said he didn’t want to play today,” Shanahan told reporters. The coach explained that the plan was for Campbell to step in when Greenlaw left the game due to his knee issue—Greenlaw’s first game back after recovering from an Achilles injury in Super Bowl LVIII. When Campbell refused, the team turned to Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, the last healthy linebacker on the roster.
As the third quarter ended, Campbell headed to the locker room, leaving the team and coaches stunned.
“People noticed, but when someone says that, you move on,” Shanahan said. “That’s somebody who doesn’t want to play football. It’s pretty simple. I think our team and myself know how we feel about that, so we don’t need to talk about him anymore.”
When asked if Campbell would be released, Shanahan responded, “We’ll figure out something.”
Players React to Campbell’s Actions
The loss, which likely ends the 49ers’ playoff hopes, was compounded by the fallout from Campbell’s decision. While some players refrained from commenting, citing a lack of information, others did not hold back.
Tight end George Kittle was particularly vocal, calling Campbell’s behavior a distraction and expressing disappointment over not being present to address the situation directly.
“I’m a leader on this team, and if that kind of distraction happens on the sideline, I would’ve loved to step in,” Kittle said. “It’s ignorant. It’s dumb. It’s very immature. I don’t understand how you could do that to your team.”
Kittle added, “It’s one person making a selfish decision. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I hope I never do again.”
Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who played earlier this season just weeks after the loss of his 1-year-old daughter, was equally frustrated.
“He’s a professional,” Ward said. “If he didn’t want to play, he shouldn’t have suited up. He could’ve told them before the game. What he did was selfish. It definitely hurt the team. Dee went down, and we needed a linebacker. For him to do that—it's selfish.”
Ward didn’t mince words about Campbell’s future, saying, “He’s probably going to get cut soon. It is what it is.”
Campbell’s Role and Future
The 49ers signed Campbell in March as a free agent from the Green Bay Packers. Initially brought in as a temporary starter while Greenlaw recovered, Campbell played a significant role early in the season, starting 12 of the first 13 games. He logged 79 tackles, including three for a loss, and defended two passes.
However, with Greenlaw back, Campbell’s role diminished, and the team started Thursday’s game with Greenlaw and Fred Warner as the primary linebackers. Campbell’s refusal to play, despite the injuries piling up, now raises serious questions about his future with the team.
As Shanahan and the 49ers deliberate their next steps, the incident has left a sour note in what was already a disappointing loss for a team struggling to keep its playoff hopes alive.
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