49ers linebacker de’vondre campbell made headlines on Thursday night when he refused to play during the team’s 12-6 loss to the Rams. Los Angeles managed to squeeze out a tight win & keeping their playoff hopes alive, while the 49ers were left dealing with the consequences of Campbell’s actions.
The next day, head coach Kyle Shanahan told news reporters he doesn’t expect Campbell to play again this season.
Shanahan explained what happened after the game. In the third quarter, Dre Greenlaw, who was playing his first game back after an Achilles injury, started feeling some soreness. The team asked Campbell to step in, but he refused and walked to the locker room shortly after. Shanahan said Campbell didn’t give a reason for his decision.
Will De’vondre Campbell Remain With The Team
When asked on Friday if Campbell would remain with the team, Shanahan replied, “No, I don’t.” He added, “When someone says they don’t want to play, you move on. That’s someone who doesn’t want to play football, and it’s pretty simple. We don’t need to talk about him anymore.”
Shanahan wasn’t the only one upset. Tight end George Kittle called Campbell’s decision “selfish.”
“If you’re on the roster and dressed to play, you’re expected to step in when needed,” Kittle said. “Everyone on this team would do anything to get on that field. Whatever Campbell’s reason was, it wasn’t for this team or this organization. It’s disappointing. It didn’t lose us the game, but it hurts when you’re down two linebackers, and someone who could’ve helped decides not to.”
Cornerback Charvarius Ward also didn’t hold back. Ward, who returned to the team after the loss of his daughter, said, “If he didn’t want to play, he shouldn’t have suited up. What he did hurt the team, especially when we needed a linebacker. That’s not how a professional acts. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets cut soon.”
The game itself was a rainy, sloppy battle with both teams struggling on offense. San Francisco managed an early field goal thanks to a 33-yard catch by Brock Purdy to George Kittle, setting up a 53-yard kick by Jake Moody for a 3-0 lead. The Rams tied it in the second quarter with a 48-yard field goal by Joshua Karty.
From there, it was a defensive grind, with both teams combining for seven punts in the first quarter alone. Rams quarterback Matt Stafford admitted it was a “tough” game, joking about his early struggles: “I hit two 49ers in the chest early, which is not great. But we stayed resilient, and the defense kept us in it”.
The Rams took control in the fourth quarter, hitting three field goals and sealing the win while getting a key interception when just over 5 minutes were left in the game. Rams coach Sean McVay praised his team’s ability to win in different ways, saying, “Sometimes you have to win ugly, and there’s no style points for that”.
With the win, Los Angeles improved to 8-6, winning seven of their last nine games and boosting their playoff chances to 50%, according to NFL.com. Rams defensive lineman Kobie Turner said, “When we play our brand of football, we can compete with anyone. Tonight showed the team we can be”.
Meanwhile, the 49ers is already struggling in the league with the fell to 6-8 and last place in the NFC West. They are left with less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs.
I’m not sure what Area 52 has to do with any of this?