Dre Greenlaw refuses to play against Rams, 49ers team and coach stunned
Dre Greenlaw refuses to play against Rams. During a game against the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers faced a significant issue when linebacker De’Vondre Campbell refused to play despite injuries to his teammates.
During a game against the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers faced injuries to their linebackers. In the third quarter, they called veteran De’Vondre Campbell to play, but he refused. Later, Campbell was seen leaving the locker room with a towel over his head without participating in the game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan stated that Campbell did not want to play that day, even though other linebackers, Dre Greenlaw and Dee Winters, were hurt.
This decision left Shanahan and the team upset after their 12-6 loss. Shanahan felt Campbell’s refusal was evident of a lack of desire to play football. When Campbell declined, the team had to rely on Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, the only healthy linebacker available. Shanahan expressed discontent about Campbell’s behavior and indicated they would handle the situation moving forward.
After the loss, some teammates were hesitant to comment, while others, like tight end George Kittle, expressed their frustration. Kittle regretted not being on the sideline during the incident to intervene and criticized Campbell’s actions as distracting and immature. He viewed Campbell’s choice as selfish and unprecedented in his experience.
Kyle Shanahan and 49ers players talk at the podium after #LARvsSF. https://t.co/slCYBALpnh
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 13, 2024
Campbell was signed earlier in the year to fill the weak side linebacker position until Greenlaw recovered from injury. He had played well during the season, starting 12 of 13 games and contributing significantly on defense. However, he chose not to play when called upon after injuries to other players, which upset teammate Charvarius Ward, who had recently dealt with personal tragedy. Ward felt Campbell should have communicated his unwillingness ahead of the game and commented that it hurt the team during a critical time.
Key Points
• In the third quarter, injuries to linebackers Dre Greenlaw (knee) and Dee Winters (neck) prompted the 49ers to call on Campbell to join the game.
• Campbell declined the opportunity and later left the field with a towel over his head, not participating at all.
• Head coach Kyle Shanahan explained that Campbell chose not to play despite the injuries to others and expressed frustration over the situation, stating, “That’s somebody who doesn’t want to play football. ”
• Following Campbell’s refusal, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles entered the game as the team’s only remaining healthy linebacker.
• The team lost to the Rams with a score of 12-6, effectively ending their playoff hopes.
• Some players, including linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Nick Bosa, did not comment on Campbell’s decision due to being unaware of the details.
• Other teammates, like tight end George Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward, criticized Campbell’s choice. Kittle expressed discontent with distractions on the sideline and hoped to have intervened. Ward described Campbell’s actions as unprofessional, suggesting he should not have dressed if he didn’t want to play.
• Campbell was signed earlier in the year to fill in for Greenlaw, starting 12 of the first 13 games and contributing significantly to the defense.
