De’Vondre Campbell let his teammates down, and one of them even claimed he’d be “cut” soon. During a December 12, 2024, game against the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers linebacker refused to play. When he was called up to relieve injured players, Campbell declined, and the 49ers lost 12-6 against the Rams. After head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Campbell “said he didn’t want to play today,” football fans were convinced that Campbell would be fired.
Learn more about Campbell’s contract and fate with the 49ers, below.
De’Vondre Campbell’s Contract With the 49ers
In March 2024, Campbell signed a one-year contract with the 49ers. According to multiple outlets, his contract promised a $5 million salary.
Kyle Shanahan revealed that De’Vondre Campbell didnt want to play in the 3rd quarter.
The TNF crew share their thoughts on the situation. pic.twitter.com/8lcK1tkGTT
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) December 13, 2024
Is De’Vondre Campbell Leaving the 49ers?
After refusing to play during the second half of the 49ers vs. Rams game, Campbell walked off the field and into the locker room without a word. While most of the players didn’t comment on Campbell’s actions that night, tight end George Kittle couldn’t help himself.
“I’m a leader on the team, and if that is something that is being a distraction on the sideline, I would’ve loved to voice my own opinion in the moment. And we’re past that moment,” Kittle told reporters, per ESPN. “So, it doesn’t matter what I wish I could have said or wish I could have done, but I don’t like distractions on the sideline. I think that’s ignorant. And I think it’s just dumb. It’s just stupid, and it’s very immature.”
It’s unclear what happened on the sidelines that caused Campbell to stroll off the field, but Kittle emphasized that the linebacker’s decision was “selfish.”
“I just don’t see how you could do something like that to your team,” Kittle said. “It’s one person making a selfish decision. I’ve never been around anybody that’s ever done that, and I hope I’m never around anybody who does that again.”
Campbell has not publicly commented on his controversial behavior during the 49ers vs. Rams game.
Is De’Vondre Campbell Getting Fired From the 49ers?
While speaking to the media after the defeat, cornerback Charvarius Ward didn’t hold back from sharing his thoughts. He pointed out that Campbell is “a professional” and has “been playing for a long time,” so he “shouldn’t have dressed” to play the game in the first place, according to ESPN.
“He could have told them that before the game,” Ward said, before adding, “I feel like that was some sucka s**t that he did. It definitely hurt the team.”
After acknowledging Dee Winters‘ injury, Ward said they “needed a linebacker,” adding, “So, for [Campbell] to do that, that’s some sucka stuff to me, in my opinion. He’s probably going to get cut soon, so it is what it is with that.”
Neither the NFL nor the 49ers has confirmed or denied if Campbell is getting fired. When Coach Shanahan was asked if Campbell was being released, he responded, “We’ll figure out something.”
“That’s somebody who doesn’t want to play football. That’s pretty simple,” the coach added. “I think our team and myself, we know how we feel about that, so we don’t need to talk about [Campbell] anymore.”