San Francisco 49ers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell left for the locker room during the third quarter of last week's game against the Los Angeles Rams after refusing to enter the game. Reportedly upset over losing his starting role to Dre Greenlaw, who had just returned from injury, Campbell's frustration boiled over on the sideline, creating a scene as coaches and teammates tried to manage the situation.
A report later revealed that it was general manager John Lynch who instructed Campbell to leave the field.
Earlier this week, the 49ers announced Campbell's suspension for the remainder of the season, removing his name from his locker and severing ties with the linebacker.
"We have suspended De'Vondre Campbell for three games due to conduct detrimental to the team," Lynch said in a statement. "We will have no further comment on the matter."
On Friday, Lynch broke his silence during an appearance on Bay Area radio station KNBR, offering insight into the sideline exchange and his decision to intervene during the incident.
"I think a lot was made of it in terms of being a confrontation," Lynch began. "I'm not sure it was a confrontation. It was a quick conversation. I think we had a little signal going in that his energy wasn't right. Kyle had a conversation with him, and we thought everything was going to be all right. It wasn't. And you could see that right away during the game."
Lynch recalled watching the situation escalate from his Levi's Stadium suite before deciding to head to the sideline.
"It was becoming a distraction in what was essentially a playoff game for us," Lynch said.
The 49ers desperately needed a victory to keep their postseason hopes alive but ultimately fell to the Rams, effectively ending their playoff chances. Campbell's refusal to play compounded the frustration of the loss.
"And at that point, Kyle's coaching the team," Lynch explained. "I usually don't go down until late in a game, but I could see that it was really becoming a distraction as one by one, players, coaches were trying to get him to go.
"I finally just said, 'I need to go see what's going on. And if what's going on is what I think's going on, he needs to get off the field,'" Lynch said. "And so, that's simply what it was, and that's how it ended up. It's unfortunate. It's nothing that anyone wanted, but you can't stand for that.
"Just as we're talking about finishing and having each other's back, when you have something contrary to that, that's not who we are. It's not who we'll ever be."
When asked if Campbell had provided any explanation for his refusal to play, Lynch revealed that he hadn't received one—and likely never would.
"He's no longer here, and we'll move forward," Lynch concluded.
You can listen to Lynch's entire interview below.
