The San Francisco 49ers had a rough go against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. And when it rains, apparently, it pours in buckets. Stunning news came through after Thursday night’s proceedings, in which the Niners lost 12-6 to the Rams.
A 49ers player seemingly quit on head coach Kyle Shanahan and the team. Shanahan told reporters after the game, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, that former All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell told him during the game that he didn’t want to play anymore.
Seriously. Maiocco wrote on Bluesky, “Coach Kyle Shanahan said 49ers LB De’Vondre Campbell said in the third quarter that he didn’t want to play anymore.” Shanahan remarked, according to Maiocco, that it was a first for him.
“Shanahan said it’s the first time that’s ever happened, where a player said he did not want to play.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan said 49ers LB De’Vondre Campbell said in the third quarter that he didn’t want to play anymore. Shanahan said it’s the first time that’s ever happened, where a player said he did not want to play.
— Matt Maiocco (@mattmaiocco.bsky.social) December 12, 2024 at 10:27 PM
When another Bluesky user chimed in asking if 49ers players were quitting on Shanahan, Maiocco replied bluntly, “One did.”
One did.
— Matt Maiocco (@mattmaiocco.bsky.social) December 12, 2024 at 10:29 PM
Shanahan and Campbell have a history together dating back to Campbell’s original team. The Atlanta Falcons drafted him out of Minnesota in the 2016 NFL Draft. Shanny was on the Falcons’ coaching staff at that time as their offensive coordinator.
Campbell joined the Niners this offseason after a few short years in Green Bay. Sandwiched in his tenure in Green Bay and Atlanta was a one-year stop in Arizona.
In his career, nine years in the NFL, he’s recorded 858 tackles, 9.5 sacks, seven interceptions, and 30 passes defended. He earned All-Pro honors in the 2021 season.
But it seems like whatever happened Thursday night was too much for Campbell to handle.
Is it the last we’ve seen of Campbell in the NFL? Time will tell.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022