The San Francisco 49ers will split ways with De’Vondre Campbell, a 12-game starter and former Atlanta Falcons linebacker.
Former Atlanta Falcons linebacker De’Vondre Campbell made global news by refusing to play in his team’s Thursday Night Football game.
Campbell, who now plays for the San Francisco 49ers, rebuffed invites to play in the second and third quarters of their game against the Los Angeles Rams. Campbell, who started 12 games this season but was replaced in the starting lineup by injury returner Dre Greenlaw on Thursday, left the game early in the fourth quarter.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Friday that Campbell will either be punished or released, but his time with the team is over.
“His actions from the game, it’s not something you can do to your team or your teammates and still get to be a part of our team,” stated Coach Shanahan.
Campbell has a successful four-year career with the Falcons after being taken in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Campbell appeared in 59 games with 54 starts for the Falcons, totaling 363 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and five forced fumbles before leaving for the Arizona Cardinals after the 2019 season. He spent one year in Arizona before signing with the Green Bay Packers for the next three years.
The 31-year-old Campbell was having a productive season in San Francisco, recording 79 tackles and three tackles for loss in 13 games.
It’s unclear where Campbell will go next, but one thing is certain: he won’t be in San Francisco for long.
