49ers reportedly make decision on how they will end De'Vondre Campbell's time with the team
Kyle Shanahan had already confirmed that De'Vondre Campbell's time as a member of the San Francisco 49ers is over following his refusal to play in last Thursday's defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. Now it appears the Niners have made a decision on how they will bring his disappointing spell to an end. NFL Media's […]
Kyle Shanahan had already confirmed that De'Vondre Campbell's time as a member of the San Francisco 49ers is over following his refusal to play in last Thursday's defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. Now it appears the Niners have made a decision on how they will bring his disappointing spell to an end.
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported that the 49ers are planning to suspend the linebacker for the final three games of the season, bringing to an end his 2024 campaign with San Francisco almost certain to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season.
Shanahan had said in his Friday conference call that the Niners were "working out the semantics" of how to deal with the Campbell situation.
"It's not something you can do to your team or your teammates and still expect to be a part of our team," Shanahan said.
Campbell's one-year contract features a $1.21 million base salary. It also contains a $20,000 per game roster bonus.
In addition to Campbell forfeiting his final three pay checks and the per game roster bonus, amounting to $261,666, the 49ers can now attempt to recoup some of his $3.35 million signing bonus.
Per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, Campbell's refusal to play amounts to forfeitable breach of contract, allowing them to recoup 25 percent of the bonus. However, because the bonus is spread over four extra void years, only $670,000 is allocated to 2024, meaning the Niners can recover $167,500.
The decision not to play will likely prove a very costly one for Campbell, both in terms of his finances and his chances of signing with another team in the offseason.
For the 49ers, they can move on with the distraction of the Campbell issue removed and try to end the year on a high. Dee Winters, who vaulted above Campbell on the depth chart for the Rams game after a strong performance against the Chicago Bears, will likely play the majority of snaps at linebacker alongside Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.
Winters suffered a neck injury against the Rams, while Greenlaw left the game in the third quarter with soreness on his return from an Achilles injury, prompting Campbell's walkout after he was asked to go in.
