The only thing that was clear after the San Francisco 49ers’ loss on Thursday night was that De’Vondre Campbell wouldn’t be welcome in the locker room anymore.
Campbell, a starting linebacker for the 49ers most of this season and a nine-year NFL veteran, refused to go into a game against the Rams in the second half and when head coach Kyle Shanahan asked him about it, Campbell said “he didn’t want to play today” according to Shanahan. Then Campbell left the sideline for the locker room and didn’t return.
NFL teams might put up with a lot, but quitting in the middle of a game is on a short list of things that will typically be unforgivable. Shanahan made it clear Friday that Campbell won’t play again for San Francisco.
Shanahan told reporters on Friday that what Campbell did was “not something you can do and still be a part of our team,” via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.
That should come as no surprise. Shanahan said the team hasn’t had any contact with Campbell since Thursday night. He confirmed that Campbell will not be with the team in Week 16.
What comes next for Campbell and the 49ers is unclear. He could be suspended. The Baltimore Ravens suspended receiver Diontae Johnson for a Week 14 game after he refused to enter a game the week before. If the 49ers release Campbell he’d be free to sign with another team over the rest of the season, and it doesn’t seem San Francisco is in the mood to help Campbell latch on anywhere else.
Shanahan said the team is “working through the semantics” of what will happen next with Campbell.
It’s rare for a player to refuse to enter a game when asked, and way more unusual for a player to leave his team during a game. In 2018, cornerback Vontae Davis told the Buffalo Bills at halftime of a game he was retiring and left. Near the end of the 2021 season, Antonio Brown took off his pads and jersey and danced through the end zone as he left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the middle of a game. Campbell joins that weird list.
Campbell was essentially benched Thursday with the return of Dre Greenlaw to the lineup. When Greenlaw was banged up in the second half, the team wanted Campbell to go in. That’s when he refused and left. Many of Campbell’s teammates criticized his actions after the game. Tight end George Kittle called it “stupid” and “immature.”
There’s no surprise that Campbell won’t be back. Though him returning to face his teammates after what happened Thursday night would be interesting.
