One former NFL star said having All-Pro on his resume won't help DeVondre Campbell avoid the retiree label.
Campbell started 12 games for the 49ers this season, replacing a healthy Dre Greenlaw, but refused to play in Thursday's game after Greenlaw was injured again.
He left the field and returned to the locker room in the third quarter, but head coach Kyle Shanahan later said Campbell would not play again for the 49ers this season.
It's probably over. Getty Images
“I think his reputation is over,'' former Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman said. He spoke on the TMZ Sports TV show.. “I would be shocked if another team decided to acquire him after the season, because now he would be considered unreliable.”
Merriman explained how the team watched film together the day after the game and realized “who quit, who didn't run to the ball, who gave up.” And those people get labeled on the spot. ”
It won't be hard to identify Campbell, who was a first-team All-Pro for the Packers in 2021, since he doesn't appear in the film.
“When you have players blatantly refusing to play, you can't fix that,” Merriman said. “A lot of things happen in a locker room – fights, arguments, disagreements, all kinds of things that you can get over in the end. If someone quits and misses a game, they get over it. In my opinion, that part is unfixable.
Merriman, a former first-round draft pick of the Chargers, appears to be spot on despite being out of the NFL since 2012.
49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward expects Campbell to be cut soon, and tight end George Kittle calls Campbell's decision “stupid” and “very immature,” saying similar things. He indicated to his teammates that he never wanted to appear again.
“Building a career is one of doing the best you can, and this one thing, no matter what happens, will continue to label you,” Merriman said. he said.
He continued: “There's no getting out of this situation. It's unfortunate that in that one second of making a decision, your entire career can be wiped out.”
The Ravens suspended receiver Diontae Johnson for Sunday's game against the Giants for refusing to play in the team's final game before the bye week.
