‘Selfish’ 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell refuses to play vs. Rams as LA beats Niners to keep playoff hopes alive

49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell refused to play when asked during the team’s Thursday night 12-9 loss against the Rams as Los Angeles eked past San Francisco to keep its playoff hopes alive.

49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell refused to play when asked during the team’s Thursday night 12-9 loss against the Rams as Los Angeles eked past San Francisco to keep its playoff hopes alive. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media after the game that nine-year veteran Campbell was asked to enter the game in the third quarter after Dre Greenlaw – who was making his season debut after tearing his Achilles in the Super Bowl last season – felt some soreness but Campbell refused, walking to the locker-room shortly afterwards. Shanahan said he wasn’t sure if the team would release Campbell. “When someone says that, you move on. You don’t deal with that anymore,” Shanahan said. “That’s somebody who doesn’t want to play football, that’s pretty simple. I think our team and myself, we know how we feel about that. So, I don’t think we need to talk about him anymore.” 49ers tight end George Kittle called Campbell’s decision “selfish.” “Look, if you’re on the roster and you suit up, you’re expected to play,” Kittle told reporters. “I think anyone in this building that got asked to go in, I would say 100% of everybody would die to get on that football field. And so, people go through, are going through random things off the field, I can’t speak on that. “Whatever his decision was, it wasn’t for this organization, it wasn’t for this team and that’s on him. So, I’m not very happy about it. I wish I would’ve heard about it on the field, but I didn’t. Now, is that the reason we lost? Absolutely not. But it’s hard to win football games when someone doesn’t want to play football. Especially, when you’re suited up. It kinda puts you down, especially when you lose two linebackers and could have dressed another one.”