by Lynch reveals players and coaches asking Campbell to play for 49ers. The Rams originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With much made about the reported confrontation between John Lynch and suspended 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell during last Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco’s general manager explained what happened during the interaction.
Lynch downplayed the encounter but revealed what led to him leaving his suite in the middle of the game to handle the situation on the 49ers sideline.
“I think there was a lot of emphasis on the fact that it was confrontational. I’m not sure it was a confrontation. It was a short conversation,” Lynch said Friday on KNBR’s “Murph & Markus.” “I think we had a little signal that his energy wasn’t right. [Coach] Kyle [Shanahan] We had a conversation with him and we thought everything would be fine. That wasn’t it. And you could see that immediately during the game. At some point I realized that he was refusing to take part in the game. We were down a couple of linebackers. And as you watch it, they come out at halftime and so on, it became a distraction in what was essentially a playoff game for us.
“At this point, Kyle is coaching the team. I usually don’t go down until the end of a game, but I noticed that as a single player it really became a distraction.” [and] Trainers tried to get him to leave. I finally just said I had to see what was going on. [and] If what’s going on is what I think, he has to leave the field.
“So that’s just how it is. That’s how it went. It’s unfortunate. It’s not something anyone wanted, but you can’t bear it. Especially now that we’re talking about graduation.” [the season] And if you have each other’s backs, if you have something against it, then that’s not who we are, that’s not who we’ll ever be.”
The 49ers suspended Campbell for the remainder of the 2024 season after the veteran linebacker refused to play in San Francisco’s “Thursday Night Football” loss to Los Angeles at Levi’s Stadium. The suspension, as opposed to a release, will prevent Campbell from signing with another team.
Campbell’s decision not to play came as star linebacker Dre Greenlaw made his debut for the 2024 season after returning from a torn Achilles tendon. However, the exact reason for Campbell’s actions has yet to be explained.
Lynch believes there will never be an explanation.
“I don’t know it. I don’t know it. I don’t think I’ll ever find out,” Lynch said. “We’ll leave it at that. He’s not here anymore and we’re moving on.”
Lacking linebacker depth after the 2023 season, the 49ers signed Campbell to a one-year deal to star alongside All-Pro Fred Warner while Greenlaw recovered. The deal came just days after veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks reportedly reached an agreement with the 49ers before bailing out and agreeing to a new deal with the Dallas Cowboys.
Shanahan admitted to the media earlier this week that signing Campbell was a mistake, and while Lynch doesn’t disagree, he knows there’s a lesson to be learned in being picky with players in free agency that you strive for.
“Yes, and that is the danger [of it]“Free agency can be really good for a team, but it’s not as thorough,” Lynch explained. “In a way, you can track a player’s track record throughout the NFL.” In the draft process, we go much deeper into their character and have that library. I think a few things were said when he left Green Bay. We had comfort because some people. had been with him in Atlanta and stuff, and it didn’t work out. That happens sometimes in free agency.
“But it’s always a good lesson that you have to be really careful, especially when you have a team that has really built a strong culture together, you stick out like a sore thumb if you’re not one of us. That’s a great lesson.” “
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