By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-13 13:51:30 | Updated at 2024-12-23 23:45:39
1 week ago
San Francisco 49ers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell refused to enter the team's Thursday Night Football clash.
The Niners suffered a 12-6 defeat to their NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, Thursday and Campbell seemingly wanted no part in it.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan needed to call on the 31-year-old during the third quarter of the Week 15 clash when Dre Greenlaw exited the game due to injury.
However, instead of taking to the field Campbell quit on his team, refusing to play and leaving the sidelines to head back to the locker room.
'He said he didn't want to play today,' Shanahan told reporters. 'That was in the third quarter.'
San Francisco 49ers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell quit on his team during Thursday's game
The player was caught on Amazon Prime's coverage stalking off the field with a towel over his head and his helmet in hand, accompanied by a 49ers member of staff as they headed down the tunnel.
Campbell's future in the Bay Area now remains unclear following the incident.
The coach was pressed on whether the franchise would release the defensive player to which Shanahan stoically replied: 'We'll figure out something. I don't know that right now.'
Campbell's shocking exit seemingly didn't go over well with his teammates in the locker room.
49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic, that he didn't think Campbell handled the situation well.
'He's probably gonna get cut soon,' Ward told the media in the locker room.
'He's a professional,' Ward said. 'He's been playing for a long time. If he didn't want to play, he shouldn't have dressed out. He could've told them that before the game. I feel like there was some sucker s*** that he did.
'It definitely hurt the team because D went down, and we needed a linebacker. … For him to do that, that's some sucker stuff to me, in my opinion.'
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was questioned whether the team would release Campbell
Meanwhile, defensive star and leader Fred Warner said: 'I don't wanna say too much on it. I'll keep it in house.'
Campbell's playing time had witnessed a cut over the past few weeks but he still took to the field for the majority of the Niners' defensive snaps.
Greenlaw made his highly-anticipated return to the field Thursday, making a comeback from an Achilles injury he suffered during last season's Super Bowl running from the field to the sideline.
He started the first half for the 49ers, playing for the first time since the Super Bowl defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, but missed snaps in the second half, which is when Campbell was presumably called upon.
Campbell is in his first season with the Niners, joining in the offseason following three seasons with the Green Bay Packers. In 13 games for San Francisco this season, Campbell has registered 79 tackles .
