De’Vondre Campbell takes aim at critics over decision to quit-mid game

Veteran NFL linebacker De’Vondre Campbell unleashed an expletive-laden tirade on social media Friday about his decision not to play for the San Francisco 49ers during a Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Rams – a move that earned the one-time All-Pro a three-game suspension. 

Campbell, who signed with the 49ers on a one-year deal in March 2024, shared a clip on X of former Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong from a previous season of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”

In his post, which showed a passionate Armstrong during a film session, Campbell complemented the coach, adding that he was thankful to enter the league when he did, before the “soft babying players s—” existed. 

But fans on social media were quick to remind the NFL player of his decision to quit on his team during their 12-6 loss to the Rams this past season. 

The comments sparked a fiery response from Campbell, who said he was “sick” of all the backlash on social media.  

“It’s been 2 months and I have yet to address the situation cause I know the truth and don’t care to clear anything up,” he said in the first of a series of posts.  “I’m by myself ALL the time if you or any of them b—- a– n—-s from the 49ers feel some type of way go wit ya move when you see me cause all them  n—-s that had so much to say about me gone have to stand on them words next time I see them I been standing on business my whole life and it’s gone be like that until the day I’m 6ft under p—- a– n—-s don’t know me.”

49ERS SUSPEND DE’VONDRE CAMPBELL AFTER HE REFUSED TO ENTER GAME VS RAMS

Campbell went on to call out broadcast analysts who had spoken about the situation, saying that instead of reaching out to him, “they just took what the 49ers said and ran with it.” 

Campbell lost his starting job this past season when Dre Greenlaw came back from the Achilles tear he had suffered in a Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. But during the Week 15 game, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted to put Campbell into the game, because Greenlaw was aching from soreness in his Achilles tendon.

Campbell refused, and at the time, Shanahan said he had never gotten an explanation. 

Days later, 49ers general manager John Lynch announced that Campbell would be suspended three-games for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

“I ain’t addressing s—,” Campbell continued in his rant Friday. “I’m rich and never have to work another day of my life and I told Kyle Shannahan and John Lynch that when they FaceTime me and begged me to come out there an hour after Green Bay cut me… I play because I WANT TO.” 

Before his brief stint with the 49ers, Campbell spent three years with the Green Bay Packers, a year with the Arizona Cardinals and four years with the Atlanta Falcons.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. 

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