49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said LB De’Vondre Campbell “didn’t want to play” and left

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said LB De’Vondre Campbell “didn’t want to play” and left

The San Francisco 49ers were barely staying in the playoff race and desperately needed a win on Thursday night to stay afloat.

And in the second half of a close game, linebacker De’Vondre Campbell decided he was done playing.

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told the media after the game that Campbell, a nine-year veteran of the 49ers who had started 12 of 13 games this season before Thursday night, told the team he didn’t want to play. Campbell went to the locker room in the second half.

“He said he didn’t want to play today,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan was asked if Campbell told the coaching staff that.

“He did when I asked him why he didn’t want to go in,” Shanahan said.

San Francisco 49ers forward De'Vondre Campbell said he didn't want to play Thursday, according to coach Kyle Shanahan. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)San Francisco 49ers forward De'Vondre Campbell said he didn't want to play Thursday, according to coach Kyle Shanahan. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

San Francisco 49ers forward De’Vondre Campbell said he didn’t want to play Thursday, according to coach Kyle Shanahan. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Shanahan said he’s never had a player tell him he didn’t want to play. Shanahan said Campbell didn’t give him a reason.

“When someone says that, you move on. You don’t deal with it anymore,” Shanahan told the media on 95.7 The Game. “This is someone who doesn’t want to play football, it’s pretty simple. I think our team and I know what we think about it. I don’t think we need to talk about him anymore.”

Campbell’s playing time has been reduced in each of the last three weeks, but he still played 64.1% of the 49ers’ defensive snaps last week. On Thursday night, the 49ers recalled Dre Greenlaw from an Achilles tendon injury he suffered in last season’s Super Bowl when he ran onto the field from the sideline. Greenlaw started and had a fantastic first half. Greenlaw missed snaps in the second half, and that’s probably when the 49ers asked Campbell, who was relegated to the reserves with Greenlaw’s return, to come on. Shanahan said he declined.

It reminds us of the story of Vontae Davis. Davis was a veteran cornerback for the Buffalo Bills and said at halftime of a game in 2018 that he decided to retire and left. It also brings back memories of Antonio Brown running shirtless into the locker room during a game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brown never played in the NFL again.

Campbell entered the game with 79 tackles and was a full-time player for the 49ers for most of the season. After Thursday night, it’s likely he won’t play with the 49ers for the rest of the season. 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic, that he didn’t think Campbell handled the situation well.

“He’s probably going to get cut soon,” Ward told the media in the locker room.

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