Green Bay Packers fans started watching Thursday Night Football because an improbable tie between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams would make it possible for the Packers to clinch a playoff berth. But they ended up watching something different. Former Green Bay linebacker De'Vondre Campbell left the game during the third quarter and said he didn't want to play anymore for the Niners.

"People noticed, but when someone says that, you move on," 49ers head coach Kyle 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."

This happened because Campbell lost the starting job to Dre Greenlaw, returning from an Achilles injury he suffered in the Super Bowl.

That's just another example of one very specific positive trait that Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has. He knows when to move on from players, and it's rare for him to miss when the Packers cut ties with someone.

Background

The Packers released De'Vondre Campbell back in March, due to his poor play and expensive contract. One day later, he signed a one-year deal with the 49ers to replace Greenlaw. In May, he posted Strong words on social media, saying that he was happy with football again.

I can’t even lie I’m having so much fun playing football again… The situation I was in was making me lose my love for the game but I’m back having fun again and I love that for myself. Thank you God ??

— De'Vondre Campbell (@Came_Along_Way) May 20, 2024

At that time, it could have been easy to say the Packers were the wrong ones after the franchise failed defensively with coordinator Joe Barry.

Another time, though, it has been proven that Gutekunst's decision to move on from Campbell was correct.

Track record

Since he took over as the GM in 2018, Gutekunst has made some controversial cuts or trades. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a huge failure with the New York Jets — you could argue that the Packers should've traded him one year earlier. Running back Aaron Jones is a somewhat efficient runner, but has struggled with fumbles for the Minnesota Vikings, and signing Josh Jacobs as his replacement was a great move. Davante Adams was still productive, but the Packers got maximum value in return and he's getting older now — the Las Vegas Raiders ended up trading him to the Jets for a third-round pick, much less than the first- and second-round picks the Packers got two years ago.

It's not something particular to Gutekunst, either. It's simply the Packer Way. In 2016, Ted Thompson surprisingly cut guard Josh Sitton right before the regular season, and he went to sign with the Chicago Bears. With the benefit of hindsight, it's easy to say that the Packers made the right decision.

With De'Vondre Campbell, the only mistake the Packers made was to give him an extension after an outlier season in 2021 — but that was an understandable mistake based on how much trouble the Packers had had and have had at the linebacker position. The decision to move on in 2024 was perfect, and now it's clearer after how things are coming to an end with the 49ers.

Former All-Pro seals his 49ers fate with bizarre decision during season-ending loss to the Rams

He looks certain to be cut.