The San Francisco 49ers have faced multiple injuries to key players this season, but Thursday’s events took an unexpected turn.
In a 12-6 defeat against the Los Angeles Rams on “Thursday Night Football,” linebacker Dre Greenlaw returned to the field after a 10-month recovery from an Achilles tear sustained during the Super Bowl in February. With Greenlaw starting, his substitute, De’Vondre Campbell, was benched for the entire first half. However, when Greenlaw needed a breather in the third quarter, Campbell opted to leave for the locker room rather than accept his new role as a backup, disregarding the team’s needs.
49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward criticized Campbell’s behavior, referring to it as “sucker stuff” and predicting that it could cost him his spot on the team. George Kittle echoed Ward’s feelings, suggesting that Campbell should be cut for choosing to abandon his teammates at a crucial moment.
Kittle expressed disappointment in Campbell’s decision, emphasizing the impact of one selfish act on the team’s morale, stating, “That is one person who just decided not to play for his teammates… I hope I’m never around anybody that does that again.”
Throughout the season, Campbell started 12 of the 13 games while playing 90% of the team’s defensive snaps and recording impressive stats (719 snaps, 79 tackles, three tackles for loss, two passes defended, and one QB hit according to Pro Football Reference). However, with Greenlaw back in action, it was clear that Campbell would lose his starting position. Greenlaw, a Pro Bowl-level talent, has accumulated over 120 tackles in each of the past two seasons and is considered one of the best linebackers in coverage for San Francisco.
Despite signing a one-year, $5 million contract with the 49ers this past offseason, it seems likely that Campbell’s time with the team has come to an end.
