The San Francisco 49ers had been in the market to add a linebacker to their already stout defense and have now found one in De'Vondre Campbell. The club has agreed to a one-year deal with the former Green Bay Packers star, according to NFL Media. The financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
The arrival of Campbell on Friday comes after the Niners were spurned by fellow linebacker Eric Kendricks earlier this week. After the two sides reportedly agreed to terms on a deal that would send him to the Bay Area, Kendricks had a change of heart and decided to head down to Dallas and join his former head coach Mike Zimmer's defense with the Cowboys. That left the 49ers still searching for a linebacker to deepen that unit and have since found their answer in Campbell.
The 30-year-old had spent the last three seasons with the Packers and earned an All-Pro nod during that stretch (2021). In 2022, he agreed to a five-year, $50 million deal with the franchise, but was officially released by the team on Wednesday. Campbell played 11 games for the Packers during the regular season in 2023 and finished the year with 75 tackles. He initially entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons out of Minnesota. After four years with the Falcons, he signed on with the Arizona Cardinals for the 2020 season before joining the Packers.
Campbell joins a 49ers defense that was in need of some linebacker depth, particularly with Dre Greenlaw recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered while running onto the field during the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. For however long it'll take Greenlaw to return to form, Campbell should adopt the lion's share of those snaps before taking on a depth role once Greenlaw is up and running.
