De’Vondre Campbell wasn’t going to play again with the San Francisco 49ers after he refused to enter a game last week. It was just unclear how the 49ers would handle the situation.
The 49ers have reportedly decided to suspend him for three games, which would finish his season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. The reason the 49ers would suspend Campbell and not cut him would be to block him from joining any other team for the rest of this season. Teams can suspend players up to four games for detrimental conduct.
The 49ers were not happy with Campbell when he refused to play on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams. Campbell, a starter for 12 of the 49ers’ first 13 games this season, was playing behind Dre Greenlaw, who was making his 2024 debut after tearing his Achilles in the Super Bowl. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that he asked Campbell why he refused to go into the game, and Campbell “said he didn’t want to play today,” according to Shanahan.
Campbell then left the sideline for the locker room. A report from Jay Glazer of Fox Sports said it was 49ers general manager John Lynch who confronted Campbell and told him to leave the sideline. 49ers players criticized Campbell for not going in the game. The day after the game, Shanahan said Campbell’s refusal to go in was “not something you can do and still be a part of our team.”
The suspension will cost Campbell $261,666 in salary and bonuses, according to Spotrac, and the team can go after $111,666 of his $3.35 million signing bonus. Campbell, who is 31 years old and a nine-year NFL veteran, was on a one-year, $5 million deal with the 49ers.
For the 49ers, the Campbell drama during a loss to the Rams was a surprising part of a disappointing season. With the suspension, his time in San Francisco will likely come to an ugly end.
