NFL news 2024: San Francisco 49ers to cut De'Vondre Campbell ...

San Francisco 49ers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell refused to play when asked during the team's 12-6 loss against the Rams as Los Angeles eked past San Francisco to keep its playoff hopes alive. A day later, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he doesn't expect Campbell to play again this season.

After the game, Shanahan had told reporters that nine-year veteran Campbell was asked to enter the game in the third quarter after Dre Greenlaw – who was making his season debut after tearing his Achilles in the Super Bowl last season – felt some soreness but Campbell refused, walking to the locker room shortly afterward.

In a call with reporters Saturday (AEDT, Shanahan was asked if he expected Campbell to be with the 49ers for Week 16 or beyond. "No. I don't," he replied.

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Shanahan also said the team is "working through the semantics of it."

Shanahan said in his post-game press conference that Campbell gave no reason for why he didn't want to play.

Shanahan said he wasn't sure if the team would release Campbell. "When someone says that, you move on. You don't deal with that anymore," Shanahan said. "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. So, I don't think we need to talk about him anymore."

De'Vondre Campbell refuses to play and walks off the field. Amazon

49ers tight end George Kittle called Campbell's decision "selfish."

"Look, if you're on the roster and you suit up, you're expected to play," Kittle told reporters. "I think anyone in this building that got asked to go in, I would say 100 percent of everybody would die to get on that football field. And so, people go through, are going through random things off the field, I can't speak on that.

"Whatever his decision was, it wasn't for this organisation, it wasn't for this team and that's on him. So, I'm not very happy about it. I wish I would've heard about it on the field, but I didn't. Now, is that the reason we lost? Absolutely not. But it's hard to win football games when someone doesn't want to play football. Especially, when you're suited up. It kinda puts you down, especially when you lose two linebackers and could have dressed another one."

De'Vondre Campbell Getty

San Francisco cornerback Charvarius Ward, who was playing in his third game since returning following the death of his daughter, was critical of Campbell's actions.

"He's a professional, he been playing for a long time," Ward told reporters. "I mean, if he didn't want to play, he shouldn't have dressed out, he coulda told them that before the game. So, I feel like that was some sucka shit that he did. Definitely hurt the team. Cause Dee (Greenlaw) went down, and we needed a linebacker.

"That's some sucka stuff to me, in my opinion. Probably gonna get cut soon, so it is what it is with that."