San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted Wednesday that signing linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was a mistake, following the team’s decision to suspend him for the remainder of the season. The move comes after Campbell refused to enter last Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, due to an assumed dissatisfaction with his reduced role on the team.
“We obviously made a mistake,” said Shanahan before Wednesday’s practice. “I was with De’Vondre his rookie year in Atlanta, so I knew what he was capable of. Not that I was real close with the defensive guys, being the offensive coordinator there, but I know we liked him in that building. I know a lot of guys who coached him who have been good. And we obviously made a mistake.”
Campbell left the Packers disgruntled about his role during the offseason, something Shanahan was asked if the team looked into before signing him.
“It’s not something that we didn’t look into. We look into everything. You weigh the risk and reward of stuff. You weigh the situation that you have and what decision you can make in terms of the options. By no means was it our first option. But at the time, with what went down, we thought it was our best option. And it didn’t work out.”
De’Vondre Campbell Quits vs. Rams
Campbell, 31, signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the 49ers in March, brought in to add depth to the linebacker corps while Dre Greenlaw recovered from an injury. He had started 12 of the first 13 games this season, contributing 79 tackles. However, tensions surfaced last week after Greenlaw’s return relegated Campbell to a backup role.
During the third quarter of the 49ers’ loss to the Rams, injuries to Greenlaw and linebacker Dee Winters forced Shanahan to call on Campbell to step in. Instead, Campbell refused to enter the game and was sent to the locker room after general manager John Lynch confronted him on the sideline, according to Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer.
On Monday, edge rusher Nick Bosa said LB De’Vondre Campbell was complaining in the locker room before the game. He nearly stepped in at the time but didn’t want to “create more of a distraction.”
“I kind of saw the foreshadowing, and I definitely didn’t think it was going to result in that.”
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was asked his reaction to Campbell quitting and went scorched earth on his former teammate.
“I just lost all respect,” Lenoir said. “I’m a person that’s going 110% every play. If I am hurt and the guy behind me is not backing me up and can’t come in or don’t want to go in, I just feel like he’s a cancer to the team.”
The team announced Campbell’s suspension on Monday, citing conduct detrimental to the team.
Moving on Without Campbell
Since quitting on the 49ers, the NFL world has come out against Campbell. Former players like Ryan Clark and Mark Schlereth have advocated for the linebacker to never play in the league again, aligning with Campbell’s former teammates.
He is not welcome in most, if not any, NFL locker rooms. It is unknown if Campbell plans to play again next season or will retire. Nonetheless, the 49ers are focusing on their remaining games, starting with Sunday’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw are expected to start at linebacker, with second-year player Dee Winters rotating in, similar to last week.
Suffice it to say, it is business as usual in San Francisco.
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