The 49ers Intend to Part Ways with Linebacker De'Vondre Campbell

On Friday, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked what the team will do with Campbell. Here's what Shanahan said.

Sep 29, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (59) tackles New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images / Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

In the second half of the 49ers' 12-6 loss to the Rams on Thursday night, linebacker De'Vondre Campbell decided he didn't want to play football that night, so he left.

The 49ers had just benched him because Dre Greenlaw had returned. But Greenlaw injured his knee, and Dee Winters injured his neck, so suddenly the 49ers needed Campbell. And he didn't want to save them, so he refused to play.

And that was his final game with the 49ers.

On Friday, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked what the team will do with Campbell. Here's what Shanahan said, courtesy of the 49ers p.r. department.

Q: What are your plans to do with LB De’Vondre Campbell Sr.?

SHANAHAN: “We're working through the semantics of exactly how to deal with it, but you guys heard from me last night, you guys heard from our players, his actions from the game just, it's 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.”

Q: Has there been any contact with him? Has he further explained if anything was going on, why he did that?

SHANAHAN: “No.”

Q: When LB Fred Warner had to leave in the, I guess, second quarter for a snap, LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles went in instead of Campbell to replace him. Did you have any sense before that something may have been off with De’Vondre? Or just, why didn't he go in for that snap and why did Flannigan-Fowles replace Fred?

SHANAHAN: “Just because he wasn't by the teammates at all and was distant from everyone. I didn't notice until the third quarter when Dre came out and Dee went in. And then I got on the defensive headset and asked what was going on, and then the coaches told me, and then I addressed De’Vondre and found out. And it was pretty simple to see how he was and then we moved on with our lives after that.”

Q: Just to be clear, you don't expect De’Vondre Campbell to be on the team Week 16 and beyond?

SHANAHAN: “No, I don't.”

Q: What had been your assessment of how De’Vondre played this year and kind of how he fit in previous to what happened last night?

SHANAHAN: “We were needing a starting-caliber linebacker to fill in for Dre until he could get back. We didn't know how long that would be. I thought he had some ups and downs throughout the year. I thought he started off slow. I thought he got more used to our defense and how we expected people to play and I thought he improved throughout the year.”

Q: Did you tell De’Vondre to go to the locker room after you talked to him?

SHANAHAN: “No, I didn't.”

Q: He just went on his own?

SHANAHAN: “I'm not sure exactly what led to him leaving the field, but once I found out he wasn't playing I moved on to people who we could count on.”

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