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The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with fallout after linebacker De'Vondre Campbell made a shocking decision to walk off the field and refuse to play during the team's 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
The move stunned both head coach Kyle Shanahan and his teammates, drawing sharp criticism from 49ers players George Kittle and Charvarius Ward.
The situation unfolded in the third quarter, with the 49ers struggling to keep the Rams' offense at bay. Campbell, a seasoned veteran and 2021 All-Pro linebacker, informed the coaching staff that he "didn't want to play" and walked off the field into the locker room.
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"He said he didn't want to play today," Kyle Shanahan said after the game. "When someone says that, you move on. You don't deal with that anymore. That's somebody who doesn't want to play football, that's pretty simple.
"I think our team and myself, we know how we feel about that. I don't think we need to talk about him anymore."
Shanahan also noted that Campbell didn't provide a reason for his decision to leave the field, which left the team and coaching staff bewildered.
Did Dre Greenlaw's return cause friction?
One possible reason behind De'Vondre Campbell's decision to walk away from the game is the return of Dre Greenlaw, a key linebacker for the 49ers who had been out since the Super Bowl after suffering an Achilles injury.
Greenlaw's return reduced Campbell's role on the team, relegating him from a starter to a reserve player for the game against the Rams.
Before Thursday, Campbell had started 12 of 13 games this season, but his playing time had steadily declined in recent weeks. Against the Rams, Campbell's impact was nonexistent as he did not a single stat on the stat sheet. For a player who had previously been a crucial part of the defense, this demotion may have sparked feelings of frustration.
Player reactions
While the coaching staff was diplomatic, 49ers players were far less forgiving. Tight end George Kittle didn't hold back, calling Campbell's decision "immature" and "stupid."
"It's just dumb. It's just stupid. It's very immature," Kittle said. "I just don't see how you could do something like that to your team."
Cornerback Charvarius Ward also expressed his disappointment, saying that if Campbell had no intention of playing, he should have made that clear before the game.
"If he didn't want to play, he shouldn't have dressed out. He could have told them that before the game," Ward said.
"[He's] probably going to get cut soon, so it is what it is with that."