Week 15 marked the return of Dre Greenlaw to the 49ers’ lineup, but the team’s linebacking corps dealt with injuries partway through the game. Greenlaw and Dee Winters were forced to exit the contest, opening the door for De’Vondre Campbell to step into the lineup. 
Campbell informed head coach Kyle Shanahan he would not enter the game, however. In the fourth quarter, Campbell departed San Francisco’s sideline and headed to the locker room. As one might expect, the team’s coaches and players have not reacted positively to the developments.
“People noticed, but when someone says that, you move on,” Shanahan said after the 49ers’ 12-6 loss (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “That’s somebody who doesn’t want to play football. That’s pretty simple. I think our team and myself, we know how we feel about that, so we don’t need to talk about him anymore.”
Shanahan added the team will “figure out something” when asked if Campbell will be cut in the wake of his decision. San Francisco started the year shorthanded at the linebacker spot with Greenlaw rehabbing his Super Bowl Achilles tear, and a deal was in place with Eric Kendricks during free agency. Kendricks backed out and ultimately signed with the Cowboys, however, something which led to Campbell being targeted. The former Packers All-Pro took a one-year deal to operate as the 49ers’ weakside LB starter while Greenlaw recovered.
Over that span, Campbell was indeed a key starter on defense, logging a 90% snap share. The 31-year-old totaled 79 tackles through 13 games, second on the team behind only Fred Warner. As expected, though, Greenlaw handled first-team duties in his return before being forced to exit with a knee issue. With Winters also unavailable and Campbell declining to play, San Francisco turned to Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles to close out the game alongside Warner.
Campbell is attached to a veteran minimum base salary, so if he were to be placed on waivers interested teams could add him as an inexpensive depth option for the closing weeks of the season. If the 49ers prefer to keep him in the fold, a suspension could be in order (similar to the Ravens’ Diontae Johnson situation). In any event, it will be interesting to see how the team proceeds.
The newest Antonio Brown, though without yanking off his top and then gesticulating as he struts to the exit.
This is stupid, but it’s not remotely close to a guy who committed a bunch of violent acts.
Why did he even put on the uniform last night, he knew he was going to pull this stunt. Yes stunt, that is all this was, just to be bigger than the team. Walk out on your teammates, coaches, franchise. Nope no defense for this, even put your agent on the spot, he has to try and walk this back now. If I was the 49er’s management would tell him to just keep walking right out the door, your done and hopefully the other 31 teams see it that way. Just like everyday life you walk off the job tell your boss I’m not working and walk off guarantee 99.9% of the time you lost your job, no matter how many years you have worked for them.
If he wants to be released, let him sit or suspend him for the rest of the season. Rewarding these clowns for bad behavior just encourages other players to take the same route.
Is there any reason a team just can’t put them on a refused to play list and suspend their contract for its duration? No way should a team have to pay them another dime
I think he is done due to age. If he was younger like Devin White who practically quit on Bucs and kind of on Philly too, he would get a chance.
Two months ago fans, sf media, his own coaching staff started dogging Campbell about his effort and going through a rough 3 week stretch of missing tackles on some receivers and running backs
If fans, media, and my own coaches were dogging me for 2 months I’d get fed up too. Most of us would. Especially if your coaches were doing it.
That’d be like working at a job where your customers co workers and bosses criticizing you for 2 straight months about your work performance and then suddenly you’re the bad guy cause you say f it im done during a busy time during the day leaving them short staffed.
Except he just did the same crap last year with Green Bay.
Oh and….who f’ing cares? That’s what comes with being a professional athlete whose contract is paid for by the money spent on tickets, merchandise, concessions, cable TV & more by the fans. The fans are what make it possible for guys like him to make over 30million dollars in his career, and the fans absolutely have the right to expect a players full effort when he puts on the jersey. End of story.
I don’t understand what your point is. Should we refrain from calling athletes out for poor performance or lack of effort? It’s not as though the criticism was undeserved.
More importantly, if this was truly about being criticized, why did he wait until this game to quit on the team? It appears to me this had more to do with being butthurt about getting benched for Greenlaw, who, like it or not, has a much more reliable track record
This is such a gen y comment. The mindset killing our country. Yes, if you’re crappy at your job, it’s okay for your boss to tell you. And if you play on a team, and someone is better than you, they play. Period.
This isn’t a generational problem. I’m part of Gen Y and disagree with Campbell’s actions as well
This article could look into why De’Vondre Campbell refused to go into the game. Just throwing shade on the man with no insight into the incident does not enlighten.
It doesn’t matter why he refused to enter the game…he was dressed and active and he QUIT on his teammates and that is a death knell for any player.
If I was the GM I would suspend him for conduct detrimental to the team without pay for the remainder of the season and let him file a grievance for his pay…4.6 million was guaranteed but if he refused to play he would have a hard time getting his remaining money and I wouldn’t cut him just so he couldn’t play for anybody else this year. Thank goodness he was on a one year contract so he won’t be back.
He just did the same thing a year ago.
He’s not the first player who thinks the game revolves around him and his abilities. He won’t be the last. There’s a fine line between an ego that drives someone to be great and an ego that drives someone to self destruct.
You can’t look into something you don’t have any information about; otherwise, the writer would merely be speculating.
There’s no “shade” being thrown. The article is merely reporting what happened and what the coach said in the aftermath
Nice way for a bad coach of a failing team to divert attention from his own ineptitude. The media is so easily manipulated.
lol
Sure sure. Cuz players always walk off the field, shower and leave the stadium in the middle of the 3rd quarter in a primetime broadcasted football game
The same “bad coach” whose offense half the NFL currently replicates? Sure
Bad take. Missed the mark by a continent.
I know it is late in the year, but how about a nomination for stupidest comment of the year? I distinctly remember them being in the SB last year. Does Inside Out not watch FB?
He was a diva in the packers too, nothing new.
With Winters also unavailable and Campbell declining to play, San Francisco turned to Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles to close out the game alongside Warner.
Who is winters. I swear theres a wrong name in every post. Like a puzzle
Dee Winters, the guy mentioned earlier in the post? What’s the mistake here?
Don’t cut him. Suspend him for conduct detrimental and make him pay back his bonus checks. Don’t give him the opportunity to take your playbook to opposing teams. Let him rot at home. Set the precedence that makes sure this never happens again.
Yup, cutting him would set a bad precedent. Suspend him for as long as is allowed, and then tell him to sit at the end of the bench. With any luck, he throws another hissy fit and you suspend him again.
They should definitely have the right to withhold that game check. I doubt they do, but what a crybaby. Ticked because you lost your starter position? Terrible teammate. He’s not welcome in Buffalo (unless this no character fool is playing for the other side).
Very Unprofessional