De’Vondre Campbell didn’t want to play for the San Francisco 49ers during the team’s Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Now the veteran linebacker won’t play for the 49ers — or any NFL team — for the rest of the 2024 season, with San Francisco officially suspending Campbell for its final three games.
“We have suspended De’Vondre Campbell Sr. for three games due to conduct detrimental to the team. We will have no further comment on the matter,” San Francisco 49ers president of football operations/general manager John Lynch said in a statement on Monday.
The former All-Pro defender started 12 of the 49ers’ first 13 games in place of the injured Dre Greenlaw but was demoted to a reserve role upon Greenlaw’s return for Week 15. He was then seen walking off the field during last Thursday night’s loss to the Rams, and coach Kyle Shanahan revealed afterward that Campbell refused to enter the game as an injury replacement after Greenlaw and another linebacker went down.
Shanahan and several prominent 49ers players, including star tight end George Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward, roundly criticized the move, suggesting Campbell couldn’t abandon his teammates as he did and then expect to suit up for the team again. By suspending the linebacker for the remainder of 2024, the 49ers are ensuring he won’t, as well as preventing him from joining another team.
Prior to joining San Francisco, Campbell spent three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, one with the Arizona Cardinals and five with the Atlanta Falcons.
