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The San Francisco 49ers have faced numerous injuries throughout the season, but on Thursday, they dealt with a player who simply didn’t want to play. 49ers say LB De’Vondre Campbell refused to enter game
Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that linebacker De’Vondre Campbell refused to participate in the second half of the 49ers’ 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Santa Clara. Prior to Thursday’s game, Campbell, 31, had started 12 of 13 games this season. However, when Dre Greenlaw, who had recovered from an Achilles injury sustained in the Super Bowl, began experiencing foot soreness, Shanahan asked Campbell to step in during the third quarter.
Campbell, however, declined to play, giving no explanation for his decision. Shanahan responded firmly, stating, “When someone says that, you move on. You don’t deal with that anymore. That’s somebody who doesn’t want to play football, that’s pretty simple. I think our team and myself, we know how we feel about that. I don’t think we need to talk about him anymore.”
Tight end George Kittle voiced his frustration, calling the situation “ignorant” and “stupid,” and labeling Campbell’s behavior as “very immature.” He expressed disbelief at how Campbell could act in such a way toward his team.
Cornerback Charvarius “Mooney” Ward also criticized Campbell, emphasizing that, as a professional, Campbell should have communicated his intentions before the game if he wasn’t going to play. Ward added, “It definitely hurt the team because (Greenlaw) went down and we needed a linebacker. For him to do that, that’s some selfishness. He’s probably going to be cut soon.”
In his first season with the 49ers, Campbell has recorded 79 tackles and two passes defensed. He previously played for the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers. In 2021, he earned a first-team All-Pro selection after posting 146 tackles, two interceptions, and several other key statistics. Over his career, Campbell has played 128 NFL games (122 starts), accumulating 858 tackles, seven interceptions, eight forced fumbles, and 9.5 sacks.
