De'Vondre Campbell quits on 49ers in middle of game, and social media explodes

The LA Rams (8-6) won on Thursday Night Football, downing the San Francisco 49ers (6-8) without scoring a single touchdown. We have plenty to discuss, applaud, and even concerns to share. That will all happen in time. But the first matter of the day is to revisit one of the craziest things that I have ever witnessed during a game.

You see, OLB De'Vondre Campbell is a player who signed with the San Francisco 49ers for 2024 to take over for injured OLB Dre Greenlaw, a player who has been on IR this season recovering from an Achilles Tendon rupture. We learned in the final injury report that Greenlaw was trending to play in Week 15. That was confirmed just over 90 minutes before the game when both teams named their inactive players, and Greenlaw's name did not show up as inactive.

Not only did Greenlaw play, he started for the 49ers. And clearly, that incensed former starting OLB De'Vondre Campbell. In fact, Campbell became so angry that when the team told him to get ready to enter the game, he refused. As a result, he was escorted off the football field in the third quarter.

By every account during and after the game, De'Vondre Campbell quit on his team during the game.

Reports on the matter flooded the internet and social media. That triggered a host of responses, many of which were created in the wee hours after the game. So plentiful were fans reactions that it only made sense to list a few of the highlights.

The reactions on social media were quick to follow. It's not something that anyone expected, or condones, so the obvious reactions were abundant:

And then there is this reaction. Short and simple:

Some NFL fans who tracked the story added a bit of humor to an alarming situation:

While still others were touched, and seemed to feel real empathy for the San Francisco 49ers upon learning of the news:

Of course, the repercussions on Campbell's career are obvious. Or are they? There are plenty of opinions over what happens next to his standing with the 49ers. One seemed to be a bit optimistic, given the fact that the guy quit on his team in front of a nationally televised audience:

Of course, moving any player from the active roster to the practice squad starts with being released. And yes, there were many fans who concluded that Campbell will be cut. Some asserting that it will happen immediately.

And this:

And even this:

Of course, some fans truly impressed me. One fan took a step back, and considered the underlying reason why a veteran NFL player would simply refuse to enter a game in the third quarter, even suggesting that there could be bigger problems underneath the surface:

But perhaps the best reaction to the news came in the form of this fan's reaction. Rather than comment on the event itself, he immediately thought about the mental health of the player. I have to say that this one warmed my heart a little bit:

It's almost a certainty that De'Vondre Campbell will no longer be on the 49ers roster for Week 16, or in the future. But is there something else amiss with the 49ers roster? Keep in mind that multiple players sat out to begin this season because they wanted far more money. And neither WR Brandon Aiyuk or LT Trent Williams played in Week 15.

The Rams are 8-6. The 49ers are 6-8. And the San Francisco 49ers have a huge headache on Friday morning. Tough to see the flaws in any of that for the LA Rams.

As always, thanks for reading.

More Rams News, Rumors, and Analysis