De'Vondre Campbell Suspended 3 Games by 49ers for Refusing to Play vs. Rams

The San Francisco 49ers announced they suspended linebacker De'Vondre Campbell for three games after he refused to play in their 12-6 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams.

"We have suspended De'Vondre Campbell Sr. for three games due to conduct detrimental to the team," general manager John Lynch said. "We will have no further comment on the matter."

The suspension ends Campbell's season since the 49ers only have three games left on their regular season schedule, and he has in all likelihood played his last game for the team.

ESPN's Nick Wagoner reported the linebacker's locker has been emptied:

In the aftermath of the Rams loss, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team intended to move on from the 31-year-old and was "working through the semantics of exactly how to deal with it."

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer followed up Sunday to report the 49ers were looking to suspend Campbell and "working with the league office to see what's the max they can do."

The Baltimore Ravens responded to a similar situation by suspending wide receiver Diontae Johnson for one game. A three-game ban for Campbell looks harsh by comparison.

The internal reaction to each case could help explain the differing punishments.

Some of Johnson's fellow wideouts were quick to move past the story and said they were happy to keep him on the team. Campbell, on the other hand, received immediate scorn from both Shanahan and his teammates.

That's to say nothing of how people outside of the organization weighed in. ESPN's Ryan Clark went so far to say the 2021 All-Pro "should never play again."

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio noted that suspending Campbell would allow San Francisco to take back as much as $167,500 from his original $3.35 million signing bonus. Then there are the checks he'd forfeit for the games in which he was suspended.

Beyond the hit to his reputation, Campbell's refusal to play will have a tangible impact on his earnings for the 2024 season.