The only thing that was clear after the San Francisco 49ers’ loss on Thursday night was that De’Vondre Campbell would no longer be welcome in the locker room.

Campbell, a starting linebacker for the 49ers for most of this season and a nine-year NFL veteran, refused to play against the Rams in the second half and when asked about it by head coach Kyle Shanahan, Campbell said “I didn’t want to play today,” according to Shanahan. Campbell then left the sideline to go to the locker room and did not return.

NFL teams can take a lot, but quitting in the middle of a game is on a short list of things that will typically be unforgivable. Shanahan made it clear on Friday that Campbell will not play for San Francisco again.

Shanahan told reporters on Friday that what Campbell did “is not something you can do and still be a part of our team,” via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.

That shouldn’t surprise anyone. Shanahan said the team has not had any contact with Campbell since Thursday night. He confirmed Campbell will not be with the team in Week 16.

De’Vondre Campbell has almost certainly played his final game with the 49ers.

It’s unclear what comes next for Campbell and the 49ers. He could be suspended. The Baltimore Ravens suspended receiver Diontae Johnson for one Week 14 game after he refused to enter a game the week before. If the 49ers release Campbell, he would be free to sign with another team for the remainder of the season, and it doesn’t appear San Francisco is in the mood to help Campbell join another team.

Shanahan said the team is “working through the semantics” of what happens next with Campbell.

It’s rare for a player to refuse to enter a game when asked, and much more unusual for a player to leave his team during a game. In 2018, cornerback Vontae Davis told the Buffalo Bills at halftime of a game that he was retiring and walked away. Near the end of the 2021 season, Antonio Brown took off his shoulder pads and jersey and danced around the end zone as he walked out on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the middle of a game. Campbell joins that bizarre list

Campbell was essentially benched Thursday with Dre Greenlaw returning to the lineup. When Greenlaw was injured in the second half, the team wanted Campbell to come in. That’s when he refused and walked out. Many of Campbell’s teammates criticized his actions after the game. Tight end George Kittle called him “stupid” and “immature.”

It’s no surprise that Campbell isn’t coming back. Although it would be interesting if he came back to face his teammates after what happened Thursday night.

Who is De’Vondre Campbell?

Before Thursday night, Campbell had a good reputation.

Campbell was a fourth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 out of the University of Minnesota and started 10 games as a rookie. He has started at least 10 games in each of his nine NFL seasons.

Last season, Campbell received a major honor as the Green Bay Packers’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. That award is given to the player who excels on the field and also gives back to the community through charitable work.

“We are honored to nominate De’Vondre for this prestigious award,” Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said via the team’s Packers.com website. “He works hard with his foundation, the De’Vondre Campbell Family Youth Foundation, to help families in need through football camps, donations, and his Adopt A Family program. We are proud to highlight his dedication to the community and his excellence both on and off the field.”

Campbell played four years in Atlanta, one with the Arizona Cardinals and then had a hot streak with the Packers for three seasons, including his best season in the NFL. In 2021, Campbell had 146 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks, and was named a first-team All-Pro.

He signed last offseason with the 49ers on a one-year, $5 million contract, bringing his career earnings to $39.1 million, according to Spotrac. Campbell started 12 of the 49ers’ first 13 games and had 79 tackles. Campbell didn’t play a snap in the first half Thursday night, giving way to Greenlaw in his return from an Achilles injury suffered during last season’s Super Bowl. In the second half, the 49ers asked him to enter the game, and that’s when he declined.

Campbell was nominated for a prestigious off-field award, was a first-team All-Pro in his career, started 122 of 128 career games and earned nearly $40 million in salary, but he will probably be remembered most for what happened Thursday night.