De’Vondre Campbell burned a few bridges on his way out of Green Bay, and the former Packers linebacker might have burned another one in San Francisco.
Campbell, who was released by the Packers and signed by the 49ers this offseason, refused to go into the game at linebacker and later exited the field during Thursday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium.
Per 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, Campbell said he “didn’t want to play today” after the team asked him to go into the game during the third quarter. He later left the field and went back to the locker room without playing a snap.
The 49ers needed Campbell — who started 12 of the team’s first 13 games — to play after two different linebackers suffered injuries. He was demoted to a backup role after Dre Greenlaw returned from an injury this week, possibly creating the frustration.
An All-Pro in his first season with the Packers in 2021, Campbell struggled through back-to-back injury-plagued seasons and was publicly critical of the team’s handling of his injury situation and his usage in Joe Barry’s defense. He was released by the Packers with a post-June 1 designation, ending his three-year stay in Green Bay.
Will Campbell be released again? Shanahan didn’t specifically say.
“We’ll figure out something,” Shanahan said.
Several 49ers players were openly critical of Campbell’s refusal to play in the post-game locker room, likely forcing the team to take action. It won’t be surprising if Campbell is released at some point in the coming days.
