Former Packers All-Pro Shocks Fans by Leaving 49ers Game Early: 'I Don’t Want to Play Anymore

When the Green Bay Packers first signed linebacker De’Vondre Campbell as a street free agent in 2021, it became one of the most underrated and under appreciated signings of the year. Campbell had his best season as pro, notching 146 tackles, two interceptions, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

In recognition of his outstanding season, he was named a First Team All-Pro.

But things did not end well between the Packers and Campbell. Towards the end of the 2023 season, Campbell posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Not going out my way anymore and I’m not playing through injuries anymore cause when s— goes wrong they always use it against you. I’m treating everyone accordingly and giving them the same energy they giving me. Focus on yourself and your mental 59 you owe it to yourself.”

Green Bay parted ways with the former All-Pro after last season and he subsequently signed with the San Francisco 49ers.

Former Green Bay Packers Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell Left the 49ers Loss to the Rams Early

Sep 22, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell (59) is called for pass interference defending Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson (86) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez

San Francisco fell to 6-8 on the season following their 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. It was a great defensive game that featured no touchdowns and six field goals.

Campbell, it seems, was not enjoying himself. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, the former Packers linebacker informed him that he “did not want to play anymore” and left the game in the third quarter:

When asked about his teammate leaving, Pro Bowl cornerback Charvarius Ward said, “He’s probably gonna get cut.”

Campbell has not had a great year for San Francisco either. He went into Thursday’s game against the Rams with 79 tackles and two pass deflections.

Campbell also has a 9.2% missed tackling percentage, which is the second-highest of his career and his worst since 2020. Not only that, he has been an absolute nightmare when called on to defend the pass. Quarterbacks have an 82.6% completion percentage and 102.1 passer rating when targeting him, which they have done 46 times.

Now that things have ended badly (presumably) between Campbell and both of his former teams, one has to wonder if there really will be another NFL team willing to give him a chance.