San Francisco 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell refused to enter Thursday night’s game against the Rams after starter Dre Greenlaw went down with an injury.
Now, his (likely soon-to-be former) teammates and coaches are blasting him for it.
Campbell had been starting for San Francisco, but with the return of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who was injured in last year’s Super Bowl, Campbell was demoted to backup. However, in Greenlaw’s first game back Thursday night, he went down again with an injury. The 49ers turned to Campbell to replace Greenlaw, but he refused to enter the game and walked off the field.
After the game, 49ers defensive back Charvarious Ward unleashed on Campbell with colorful language.
“He a professional. He been playing for a long time,” Ward said, via Matt Lively of KPIX. “If he didn’t want to play, he shouldn’t have dressed out. He could have told them that before the game. I feel like that was some sucker shit that he did. Definitely hurt the team because Dee [Winters] went down. We needed a linebacker, and I think [Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles] was banged up, too. For him to do that, that’s some selfish stuff, to me, in my opinion. Probably gonna be cut soon, so it is what it is with that.”
Here is the whole Mooney Ward exchange on De'Vondre Campbell refusing to go into the game tonight.
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) December 13, 2024
Mooney was brutally honest about a guy who appeared to quit on his team. #49ers | #FTTB pic.twitter.com/CT6zNcC4t1
Ward is more than likely correct about Campbell’s future with the 9ers. Normally, refusing to enter a game results in an automatic dismissal. Earlier this year, Ravens safety Eddie Jackson refused to enter a game and was cut immediately after.
As of this writing, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has not said how the team will discipline Campbell.
