Kyle Shanahan says De’Vondre Campbell, who quit Thursday, will no longer be a part of the 49ers

The only thing that was clear after the San Francisco 49ers’ loss Thursday night was that De’Vondre Campbell would no longer be welcome in the locker room.

Campbell, a starting linebacker for the 49ers for most of this season and a nine-year NFL veteran, refused to enter a scrimmage against the Rams in the second half, and when head coach Kyle Shanahan asked him about it, Campbell said, “He did “I don’t want to play today” according to Shanahan. Then Campbell left the sideline for the locker room and did not return.

NFL teams can put up with a lot, but quitting in the middle of a game is on a short list of things that would typically be unforgivable. Shanahan made it clear Friday that Campbell will not play again for San Francisco.

Shanahan told reporters Friday that what Campbell did “wasn’t something you can do and still be part of our team.” via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.

That should come as no surprise. Shanahan said the team has had no 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 may be suspended. The Baltimore Ravens suspended receiver Diontae Johnson for one Week 14 game after he refused to participate in a game the previous week. If the 49ers release Campbell, he would be free to sign with another team for the rest of the season, and it doesn’t appear that San Francisco is in the mood to help Campbell stick around elsewhere.

Shanahan said the team is “working through the semantics” of what will happen next with Campbell.

It is rare for a player to refuse to participate in a match when asked, and far more unusual for a player to leave their team during a match. In 2018, cornerback Vontae Davis told the Buffalo Bills at halftime of a game that he was resigning and leaving. 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 strange list.

Campbell was essentially benched Thursday with Dre Greenlaw’s return to the lineup. When Greenlaw got beat up in the second half, the team wanted Campbell to step 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 Campbell isn’t coming back. Although it would be interesting to get back to his teammates after what happened on Thursday night.

Who is De’Vondre Campbell?

Before Thursday night, Campbell had a good reputation.

Campbell was a fourth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 out of the University of Minnesota and started 10 games as a rookie. He has started at least 10 games in each of his nine NFL seasons.

Last season, Campbell earned major honors as the Green Bay Packers’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. That award goes to the player who excels on the field and also helps the community through charity work.

“We are honored to nominate De’Vondre for this prestigious award,” Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said via the team’s website Packers.com. “He does so much work with his foundation, the De’Vondre Campbell Family Youth Foundation, to help families in need through football camps, donations and their Adopt A Family program. We are proud to highlight his dedication to the community and his expertise both on and off the pitch.”

Campbell played four years in Atlanta, one with the Arizona Cardinals and then had a solid run with the Packers for three seasons including his best NFL season. In 2021, Campbell had 146 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks, and was named a first-team All-Pro.

He signed last offseason with the 49ers to a $5 million, one-year contract, bringing his career earnings to $39.1 million. according to Spotrac. Campbell started 12 of the 49ers’ first 13 games and had 79 tackles. Campbell didn’t play a snap in the first half Thursday night, subbing for Greenlaw as he returned from an Achilles injury suffered during last season’s Super Bowl. In the second half, the 49ers asked him to enter the game, and that’s when he refused.

Campbell was nominated for a prestigious off-field award, was a first-team All-Pro in his career, started 122 of 128 career games and earned nearly $40 million in salary, but he will probably be remembered most for what happened on Thursday night.