The only thing that was clear after the San Francisco 49ers’ loss on Thursday night was that De’Vondre Campbell would no longer be welcome in the locker room.

Campbell, who served as the starting linebacker for the 49ers for most of this season and is a nine-year NFL veteran, refused to play in a game against the Rams in the second half and when head coach Kyle Shanahan asked him about it, said Campbell: “He didn’t do it.” “I don’t want to play today,” said Shanahan. Campbell then left the sideline toward the locker room and did not return.

NFL teams may put up with a lot, but quitting in the middle of a game is one of the few things that is usually unforgivable. Shanahan made it clear Friday that Campbell will no longer play for San Francisco.

Shanahan told reporters Friday that what Campbell did was “not something you can do and still be a part of our team,” via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.

That shouldn’t be a surprise. Shanahan said the team has not had contact with Campbell since Thursday evening. He confirmed that Campbell will not be with the team in Week 16.

What comes next for Campbell and the 49ers is unclear. He could be suspended. The Baltimore Ravens suspended receiver Diontae Johnson for one game in Week 14 after he refused to play in a game the week before. If the 49ers release Campbell, he could sign with another team for the remainder of the season, and San Francisco doesn’t appear to be in the mood to help Campbell find his footing anywhere else.

Shanahan said the team is “working on the semantics” of what will happen next with Campbell.

It is rare for a player to refuse to take part in a game when asked to do so, and far more unusual for a player to leave his team during a game. In 2018, cornerback Vontae Davis told the Buffalo Bills at halftime of a game that he was giving up and leaving. Near the end of the 2021 season, Antonio Brown took off his pads and jersey and danced through the end zone as he left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers mid-game. Campbell joins this strange list.

Campbell was essentially replaced on Thursday with the return of Dre Greenlaw to the lineup. When Greenlaw got banged up in the second half, the team wanted Campbell to come in. He then refused and left. Many of Campbell’s teammates criticized his actions after the game. Tight end George Kittle called it “stupid” and “immature.”

It’s no surprise that Campbell isn’t coming back. However, it would be interesting to see him face his teammates again after what happened on Thursday night.

Who is De’Vondre Campbell?

Before Thursday night, Campbell had a pretty good reputation.

Campbell was a fourth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons out of the University of Minnesota in 2016 and started 10 games as a rookie. He has started at least 10 games in each of his nine NFL seasons.

Last season, Campbell was nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year by the Green Bay Packers. This award goes to the player who excels on the field while helping the community through charity work.

“We are honored to nominate De’Vondre for this prestigious award,” Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said via the team’s website Packers.com. “He works so much with his foundation, the De’Vondre Campbell Family Youth Foundation, to help families in need through soccer camps, donations and their Adopt A Family program. We are proud to highlight his commitment to the community and his outstanding achievements on and off the field.

Campbell played four years in Atlanta, one of them with the Arizona Cardinals, and then had a good run with the Packers for three seasons, including his best NFL season. In 2021, Campbell had 146 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks and was named first-team All-Pro.

This past offseason, he signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the 49ers, increasing his career earnings to $39.1 million, according to Spotrac. Campbell started 12 of the 49ers’ first 13 games and had 79 tackles. Campbell didn’t play a snap in the first half on Thursday night and was handed off to Greenlaw in his return from an Achilles tendon injury he suffered in the Super Bowl last season. In the second half, the 49ers asked him to come into the game, but he refused.

Campbell was nominated for a prestigious off-field award, was a first-team All-Pro in his career, started 122 of 128 games in his career and earned nearly $40 million, but he will probably be hurt the most by what happens is to be remembered on Thursday evening.