De'Vondre Campbell will no longer be part of the San Francisco 49ers moving forward after the veteran linebacker refused to enter the game in the third quarter of Thursday night's 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear Friday that the club was moving on. The exact steps they take are still being considered.
"We're working through the semantics of exactly how to deal with it," Shanahan said. "But you guys heard from me last night, you guys heard from our players. His actions from the game is just not something you can do to your team or your teammates and still expect to be a part of our team. So we're working through exactly the semantics of it right now, but we'll handle the situation appropriately."
Shanahan was asked a follow-up question to confirm he didn't expect Campbell to be with the club in Week 16 and beyond.
"No, I don't," the coach responded.
Campbell lost his starting gig with the return of Dre Greenlaw to the lineup. When Greenlaw came out in the third quarter, Campbell, apparently disgruntled, refused to enter the game and left for the locker room. Given that the 31-year-old linebacker was specifically signed as a bridge until Greenlaw returned, it was surprising that Campbell would be upset about having his reps diminished.
Campbell was resoundingly thrashed by his teammates following the loss.
"Look, if you're on the roster and you suit up, you're expected to play," said 49ers tight end George Kittle, who was unaware of the situation during the game. "I think anyone in this building that got asked to go in, I would say 100% of everybody would die to get on that football field. And so, people go through, are going through random things off the field, I can't speak on that. Whatever his decision was, it wasn't for this organization, it wasn't for this team and that's on him. So, I'm not very happy about it."
In one fashion or another, the 49ers are done with Campbell. The question is whether they outright release him -- which could be what the linebacker desires -- or if the club has the grounds to suspend him for his actions.
In 13 games with the Niners, Campbell made 12 starts, compiling 79 tackles, three TFLs and two passes defensed.
