From 2021 to 2023, linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was a key member of the Green Bay Packers’ defense. During that time, he accumulated 317 total tackles (204 solo), 15 tackles for loss, nine passes defended and four interceptions while being named to the All-Pro First Team in 2021.
He departed last season and joined the San Francisco 49ers as a temporary replacement for Will linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who had torn his Achilles during Super Bowl LVIII. Greenlaw returned to action in Week 15 versus the Los Angeles Rams, but he didn’t return in the second half.
Campbell was asked to replace Greenlaw at that point, but he refused to enter the game. He faced heavy criticism as a result, and San Francisco suspended him for the balance of the season.
He went on a social media tirade on Friday to comment on the incident, and he said a whole lot without saying much of substance to explain why he refused to take the field in Week 15.
“I ain’t addressing s***,” Campbell said in one post. “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 really be sparing n*****. I play because I WANT TO.”
Campbell, 31, has played nine seasons in the NFL, and he was seen as a disappointment for the Niners even before his incident. Between his declining game and his refusal to replace Greenlaw in Week 15, imagining another team picking him up in free agency in March is difficult.
Packers fans may have fond memories of him, especially from that 2021 season in which he played some excellent football. But that version of Campbell is likely gone for good.
