The 49ers signed De’Vondre Campbell to work as a stopgap during Dre Greenlaw‘s recovery from Achilles surgery. That run lasted 13 games, with Greenlaw not making his season debut until Thursday. But Greenlaw did not make it through his opener unscathed, leading to one of the stranger situations any team has encountered this season.
Campbell refused a fourth-quarter assignment to come in on defense, instead walking to the 49ers’ locker room during the team’s 12-6 loss to the Rams. This obviously angered teammates, and Kyle Shanahan confirmed Campbell is done with the team. The 49ers, however, are not expected to waive the veteran defender immediately. Instead, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates a suspension will likely come first.
If the 49ers suspend Campbell, they can recover part of his $3.35M signing bonus. A refusal to play constitutes a forfeitable breach of contract, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes, opening the door to San Francisco going after part of the bonus. This avenue will make it somewhat costly for Campbell, who signed a one-year, $5M deal in March — after Eric Kendricks backtracked on a 49ers commitment to join the Cowboys.
This action would only lead to Campbell losing $234K, per Florio, should the 49ers ban him for one game. Four void years are included in Campbell’s contract, spreading out the bonus. That will limit what the 49ers can go after, but they look likely to do what is possible to reduce Campbell’s compensation. This move will also prevent him from catching on elsewhere and bouncing back immediately. Considering the anger Campbell’s refusal to play caused in the locker room, the team preventing a smooth exit makes sense.
Campbell having to pay back a portion of a bonus already sent to him would mark an ignominious ending for him in San Francisco — and perhaps as an NFLer altogether. The Falcons drafted Campbell during Shanahan’s second season as their OC, giving the current 49ers HC some familiarity with a player who had started for Atlanta, Arizona and Green Bay. The Packers re-signed Campbell to a five-year, $50M deal after his first-team All-Pro season in 2021.
Campbell made it through two years of that contract before Green Bay moved on this offseason. Considering the way it ended for him in San Francisco, it would not be a surprise if other teams pass on allowing the former fourth-rounder the opportunity to end his career on a better note.