Has De'Vondre Campbell quit? NFL reacts after 49ers LB refuses to play

San Francisco 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell took off his helmet, left the field and refused to play as his team suffered a crushing 12-6 loss on “Thursday Night Football” early in Week 15 of the NFL schedule had to accept against the Los Angeles Rams. Perhaps he didn’t realize at the time that this decision, while San Francisco’s playoff hopes suffered another devastating blow, would draw ridicule from all corners of the sport.

Niners coach Kyle Shanahan revealed after the game, when asked why Campbell went to the locker room, that Campbell “said he didn’t want to play today” in the third quarter. Campbell started 12 of the team’s first 13 games this season, but was replaced in the lineup by linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who was returning from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in last year’s Super Bowl.

Criticism of Campbell came quickly and bluntly from around the league.

“You leave your team and you can’t do that in the National Football League,” former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman said on Amazon Prime’s postgame show. “I would be surprised if he was still on the team after today.”

That was just the beginning of the fallout for Campbell. Shanahan has indeed hinted that the 49ers will move on from Campbell, whether through his firing or suspension in the near future. However, the ultimate damage to Campbell’s reputation remains to be seen. Here’s a look at some of the notable reactions his decision to leave in the middle of Thursday’s 49ers-Rams game sparked:

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De’Vondre Campbell “quits”: NFL and sports world react to 49ers LB

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward were among Campbell’s teammates who commented on his actions. Ward called Campbell’s decision “selfish,” while Kittle called the move “immature” and “idiotic.”

But more than that, both pointed out that Campbell left the 49ers in a bad situation when two linebackers were sidelined with injuries during Thursday’s game. The team could have found a player willing to take the field in Campbell’s place. Ward mentioned in the locker room immediately after the game that Campbell was “probably going to get cut.”

“I’ve never been around anyone who does something like that,” Kittle said, “and I hope I’m not around anyone who does it again.”

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on “First Take” that Campbell “should be ashamed of himself. There is no excuse for what he did.” Smith speculated that Campbell’s NFL career should be in jeopardy because of his actions on Thursday. As did former NFL defensive lineman Ryan Clark during an appearance on “Get Up.”

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Has De’Vondre Campbell quit? NFL reacts after 49ers LB refuses to play

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