Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I’m more excited for Saturday’s Army-Navy game than I have been in years.
In today’s SI:AM:
⛏️ Trouble for the Niners
🍎 Soto’s presser
🔄 A trade the Nuggets should make
They’re cooked
Thursday night’s 12–6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams didn’t technically eliminate the San Francisco 49ers from playoff contention, but it may as well have.
The Niners are now 6–8, last place in the NFC West and 11th place in the conference. They would have had about an 11% chance of making the playoffs if they had won the game, according to NFL.com, but now their chances of reaching the postseason are less than 1%. After seeing how they lost the game, though, you can comfortably put those chances at 0%.
San Francisco’s injury-riddled offense managed just 191 total yards, its fewest in a game since 2016. It was the first time since Week 9 of the 2019 season that the Niners failed to score at least one touchdown.
The Niners’ top three running backs—Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason—are all on injured reserve, as is top receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Quarterback Brock Purdy has been dealing with a shoulder injury, although this was the first week he did not appear on the injury report since missing the Week 12 game against the Green Bay Packers.
But the best evidence of why the Niners are cooked is what De’Vondre Campbell Sr. did on Thursday night. Campbell, one of San Francisco’s starting outside linebackers and a former first-team All-Pro selection, refused to check in to the game in the third quarter and was seen during the fourth quarter walking off the field to the locker room.
“He said he didn’t want to play today,” coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game.
Campbell’s decision to quit in the middle of the game drew sharp criticism from his teammates.
“I feel like that was some sucker s--- that he did,” cornerback Charvarius Ward said.
“Is that the reason we lost? Absolutely not. But it’s hard to win football games when someone doesn’t want to play football,” tight end George Kittle said. “Especially when you’re suited up. ... I’ve never been around anybody that’s ever done that, and I hope I’m never around anybody that does that again.”
Campbell’s actions left Shanahan in the unenviable position of having to assert that he has not lost control of the locker room.
“I haven’t lost anybody,” Shanahan said. “If somebody doesn’t want to play football, that’s pretty simple. I think our team, and myself, we know how we feel about that. I don’t think we need to talk about him anymore.”
But Campbell’s actions are an indication of where this team stands right now. Players don’t bail on their teammates when they’re playing for a Super Bowl contender, like the Niners have consistently been in recent years. But after three straight trips to the conference championship game and four in the last five years, San Francisco is just another middling team. The focus now needs to be on finishing strong to set a solid foundation for next season. Campbell may have been the only player to quit on the team on Thursday, but Shanahan should be worried about more players phoning it in now that San Francisco’s playoff hopes are next to zero. With three games left, it’s important for the Niners to finish on a high note. There’s a massive difference in perception between a team that finishes 6–11 and one that finishes 9–8 or 8–9. A return to contention in the NFC next season begins with a refusal to give up on this season. One player already gave up. The other 52 can’t.
The best of Sports Illustrated
- Stephanie Apstein was at Juan Soto’s introductory press conference at Citi Field, where Mets owner Steve Cohen explained why he pursued the star outfielder so aggressively.
- Here is our full list of 2024 college football All-Americans.
- Albert Breer’s NFL mailbag opens with a question about the Chiefs’ offensive struggles and whether it’s fair to say they miss Tyreek Hill.
- Chris Mannix argues that trading for Jimmy Butler is what the Nuggets need to break out of their early slump.
- Michael Rosenberg explains why Bill Belichick is the opposite of USC coach Lincoln Riley.
- Belichick’s contract with North Carolina has a buyout clause that seems primarily designed to keep him from taking an NFL job this offseason.
- Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers reportedly plans to enter the NFL draft.
The top five…
… things I saw last night:
5. This Bronny James alley oop. James had 30 points in his first road game for the G League’s South Bay Lakers.
4. Vince Dunn’s baseball style goal.
3. Nazem Kadri’s leap over a fallen defender to score a breakaway goal.
2. Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo’s three-pointer to beat the third quarter buzzer. Hidalgo finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Irish handed No. 2 UConn its first loss.
1. Puka Nacua’s impressive catch, pinning the ball against a defender’s helmet. I swear Nacua makes a highlight catch every week.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI:AM | It’s Time to Stick a Fork in the 49ers.
