New.“Locker Room Rupture? George Kittle and 49ers Coach Outraged by Player’s Controversial Action”

Brooke Sutton/Getty; Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty 

De’Vondre Campbell wasn’t ready for some Thursday night football.

The San Francisco 49ers linebacker refused to enter the game when his number was called during the third quarter of the Niners-Los Angeles Rams game on Thursday, Dec. 12 — much to his teammates’ and coaches’ displeasure.

“Whatever his decision was, it wasn’t for this organization, it wasn’t for this team and that’s on him,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said in his postgame comments, after San Francisco’s 12-6 loss at Levi’s Stadium. “Not very happy about it. I would have had something to say. I wish I heard about it on the field, but I didn’t.”

Kittle continued, “It’s just dumb. It’s just stupid. It’s very immature. I just don’t see how you could do something like that to your team.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan summed up the former Green Bay Packers player’s comments to him: “He said he didn’t want to play today.”

With two other linebackers out, the team needed Campbell, despite his own seeming unhappiness about getting less playing time due to Dre Greenlaw’s return to the team on Thursday after he tore his Achilles during Super Bowl LVIII.

When Greenlaw went out of the game with knee soreness — and with linebacker Dee Winters also not playing — it was Campbell’s cue to take the field.

Instead, third-string linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles was inserted into the game.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

“Is that the reason we lost? Absolutely not … Try to win football games when someone doesn’t want to play football, especially when you’re suited up,” Kittle said. “It kind of puts you down, especially when you lose two linebackers.”

Now, Campbell’s status with the team is up in the air, much like the 49ers’ playoff prospects.

“People noticed, but when someone says that, you move on,” 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 we don’t need to talk about him anymore.”

A rare bright spot in the game, Greenlaw led the team with eight total tackles, three solo, at the half before he had to leave for his knee soreness.

In May, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner spoke to PEOPLE about the bond he shares with Greenlaw, and his devastation when the player went down last February in the big game.

“Yeah, those were real feelings,” Warner told PEOPLE. “In the moment, I was just going through whatever was natural when you lose a brother out there, especially one that I’m as close to Dre as anybody that I’ve ever played with, and so my heart just hurt for him in that moment, knowing what was ahead for him and obviously losing it for that game, especially because of the game that he was having.”

  • hao123

    Related Posts

    DQ. Steelers Legend May Return: Art Rooney II Wants Hines Ward Back for Super Bowl Push

    In what could be one of the most emotional and strategic moves of the 2025 NFL season, Pittsburgh Steelers Chairman Art Rooney II has officially expressed interest in bringing back…

    DQ. SURPRISE: Chiefs’ Rivals Linked to Justyn Ross Cut – The Shocking Truth Behind It!

    Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross worked out for an AFC contender on Monday. Recent Kansas City Chiefs cut, Justyn Ross, resurfaced in the news on Monday, July 28, as…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    DQ. Steelers Legend May Return: Art Rooney II Wants Hines Ward Back for Super Bowl Push

    • By nho123
    • July 29, 2025
    • 129 views

    DQ. SURPRISE: Chiefs’ Rivals Linked to Justyn Ross Cut – The Shocking Truth Behind It!

    • By nho123
    • July 29, 2025
    • 71 views

    DQ. BREAKING NEWS: Girl Spent 3 Years Saving to See Caitlin Clark — But Came Up Short. What Caitlin Did Next Left Everyone in Tears

    • By nho123
    • July 29, 2025
    • 131 views

    DQ. 🔥 Andy Cohen Explodes After CBS Cancels The Late Show: “They Didn’t Just Cut the Lights—They Burned the Building!” 🔥

    • By nho123
    • July 29, 2025
    • 213 views

    ‘Animal shelters are full because people can’t afford pets’ LS

    • By Tienmhs
    • July 29, 2025
    • 75 views

    ‘Sharon Osbourne Gives Emotional Interview About Ozzy Just Days Before His Death: “I Fell in Love with His Chaos”’ LS

    • By Tienmhs
    • July 29, 2025
    • 124 views