San Francisco 49ers suspend LB De'Vondre Campbell for three games after refusing to play
San Francisco 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was suspended for three games after he refused to go back in during Thursday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Campbell’s regular season is over after he did not come back out for the second half, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport. The 49ers lost 12-6 to the Rams and were already down LBs due to injury.
“Sources: The 49ers are planning to suspend LB De’Vondre Campbell three games, ending his season, after Campbell refused to go into the game on Thursday night,” Rapoport wrote on Twitter.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan also commented on the situation, making it unacceptable.
“His actions from the game is just not something you can do to your team,” Shanahan said.
The head coach previously said Campbell was not expected to play again following his refusal to play Thursday night.
Campbell, 31, was called upon to enter the game with linebackers Fred Warner (ankle), Dre Greenlaw (knee) and Dee Winters (neck) dealing with injuries. He declined, according to Shanahan. The 49ers signed Campbell to a one-year deal this past offseason to replace Greenlaw, who tore his Achiles in the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs (13-1).
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Campbell, the 2021 All-Pro, recorded 79 tackles (44 solo) for the 49ers this season, but lost his starting job as Greenlaw made his season debut against the Rams. Greenlaw departed because of knee soreness and San Francisco was forced to insert Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, the team’s only healthy linebacker left on the roster, into the game after Campbell said no.
Tight end George Kittle said that Campbell made a “selfish decision.”
“I’m a leader on the team, and if that is something that is being a distraction on the sideline, I would’ve loved to voice my own opinion in the moment,” Kittle said. “And we’re past that moment. So, it doesn’t matter what I wish I could have said or wish I could have done. But I don’t like distractions on the sideline. I think that’s ignorant. And I think it’s just dumb. It’s just stupid, and it’s very immature. I just don’t see how you could do something like that to your team.”
Kittle added: “It’s one person making a selfish decision. I’ve never been around anybody that’s ever done that, and I hope I’m never around anybody who does that again.”