De’Vondre Campbell was signed by the Green Bay Packers as a street free agent late in the 2021 offseason. Despite being an afterthought signing, Campbell had the best season of his career that year, racking up 146 tackles, 2.0 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
He was named a First Team All-Pro after the season and rewarded with a five-year $50 million contract to remain in Green Bay.
Unfortunately, Campbell did not play out that contract (obviously), nor was he nearly as productive as he was in his first season with the Packers. Injuries played a role in his decline, but so too did his attitude.
De’Vondre Campbell Quit on the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers
Late in the 2023 NFL season, which ended up being his last in Green Bay, Campbell posted on social media:
“Not going out my way anymore and I’m not playing through injuries anymore cause when s— goes wrong they always use it against you. I’m treating everyone accordingly and giving them the same energy they giving me. Focus on yourself and your mental 59 you owe it to yourself.”
This post, as well as other comments he made to the media about the coaching staff, spelled the end for Campbell with the Packers. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency and claimed that he had fallen back in love with the game of football.
But San Francisco struggled early in the year. As injuries piled up on the team, their playoff hopes steadily declined. For Campbell, it all came to a head on Thursday night when he was asked to enter the game for the first time in third quarter following an injury to one of his teammates, Dre Greenlaw.
He refused to play.
De’Vondre Campbell Has Disrespected His Teammates More than Many Realize
Not only did Campbell refuse to enter the game, he left the sideline and went to the locker room. According to reports on Sunday morning, San Francisco is trying to find a way to give him the max suspension. They do not want to release him and “reward” him with the opportunity to play for a different team.
#49ers GM John Lynch, usually calm and composed, confronted LB De’Vondre Campbell after learning he refused to enter the game on Thursday night and let him know about it
The 49ers are working with the league office to pursue a max suspension for Campbell. They don’t want to… https://t.co/g8FU9Z6E20 pic.twitter.com/dlqXTby65l
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 15, 2024
And if what Campbell did was not bad enough, one of his other teammates, cornerback Charvarius Ward, openly discussed his battle with a situation that no person ever wants to deal with, and one that has caused him to nearly walk away.
On October 29, Ward announced on Instagram that his one-year-old daughter, Amani Joy, passed away. She was born with Down Syndrome and two holes in her heart.
On still showing up to play week in and week out, Ward recently said:
“It’s been hard for me personally to go to work every day, every game. Even to go to practice or to meetings. I almost left a couple of times. S—, I know fans probably hate me for saying that, but f— it, it’s real life. It’s bigger than football. This is the hardest time of my life for sure.”
When Ward and the rest of the 49ers needed him the most, Campbell turned his back on them.
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