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Shanahan reveals Campbell refused to play vs. Rams, left game early originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Kyle Shanahan experienced a first as an NFL head coach in the 49ers’ 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday at Levi’s Stadium when one of his players declined to take the field.
Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell’s role changed with the return of Dre Greenlaw this week, and when the latter exited the game in the third quarter with some soreness in his Achilles and knee, Campbell refused to play when Shanahan asked him to take Greenlaw’s place and instead went to the locker room.
“He said he didn’t want to play today,” Shanahan told reporters after the game, noting that had never happened to him before with a player. “… He was going to go in when Dre came out.”
Greenlaw returned for the must-win Week 15 game 10 months after tearing his Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII. The 49ers signed Campbell to a one-year contract in NFL free agency this offseason to help make up for Greenlaw’s absence, and the former All-Pro linebacker was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 when Shanahan was the team’s offensive coordinator.
Shanahan didn’t say whether the 49ers will release Campbell after his actions Thursday.
“We’ll figure out something, but I don’t know that right now,” Shanahan said.
Campbell’s teammates didn’t mince words when asked about the linebacker’s decision not to play.
“I mean, he’s a professional. He’s been playing for a long time. If he didn’t want to play, he shouldn’t have dressed out,” cornerback Charvarius Ward told reporters in the locker room. “He could have told [them] that before the game. So I feel like there was some sucker s–t that he did that definitely hurt the team, because Dee [Winters] went down and we needed a linebacker, and I think [Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles] was banged up, too.
“So for him to do that, that’s some sucker stuff to me, in my opinion. Probably going to get cut soon. It is what it is with that.”
Tight end George Kittle…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/shanahan-reveals-campbell-refused-play-052136016.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-12-13 05:31:00
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