On Thursday night, the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams faced off in a low-scoring, rain-filled NFC West showdown. The Rams pulled out a 12-6 road win, but after the game, 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was all anyone was talking about.
The former Atlanta Falcons linebacker did not appear in Thursday’s game, likely due to the return of Dre Greenlaw. According to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Campbell was asked to enter the game in the third quarter but refused.
“He said he didn’t want to play today,” Shanahan said during his postgame press conference.
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Campbell, 31, was drafted by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft, spending his first four NFL seasons in Atlanta. After a one-year stop in Arizona, Campbell had a productive three-year stint in Green Bay.
The versatile linebacker made the All-Pro first team with the Packers in 2021. Campbell has started 12 games this season — his first with the 49ers — but it sounds like his time in San Francisco will be coming to an end shortly.
On Friday, Shanahan made it clear that the team was moving on from Campbell, saying his behavior was “not something you can do and still be a part of our team.”
Perhaps the Falcons should give Campbell a call if they get their season back on track over the final four games. Atlanta will face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night football in Week 15.