De’Vondre Campbell, a former linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, has never been shy on social media.
Campbell declared in December that he would no longer play for the Packers despite injuries, saying:
“When s*** goes wrong, they always use it against you.”
He claimed on his Instagram page earlier this week that the team had “badly misused” him after releasing him. Also, He elaborated on those ideas extensively on Twitter/X on Sunday.
“Listen if I would’ve listened to half the stuff they were telling me I would’ve NEVER went all pro,” tweeted the linebacker on Sunday.
According to Campbell, he made it into the All-Pro team by refusing to comply with the Packers’ wishes to be utilized in specific ways. The linebacker claimed that some of the reasons for his poor performance in 2022 and 2023 were because the team wanted him to break based on the quarterback’s eyes, rather than keying on routes, and that he didn’t get to press receivers or tight ends when detached from the box.
Fast forward to 2022, 2023 season I tried to be a team guy and play within the system and do what they asked “Be more visual on QB and not look up routes” “Back up from LOS so I’m not pressing every WR or TE” Look at what happened. They had me, Quay out there looking clueless smh
— De'Vondre Campbell (@Came_Along_Way) March 17, 2024
Aaron Rodgers makes things more interesting
In addition, Campbell said that he was never asked to forgo a compensation raise in order to stay on the team in 2024. When Green Bay decided to dismiss the linebacker earlier this summer, he was still only three years into a five-year, $50 million contract. He inked a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers subsequent to his release. The remark is elevated to a whole new level by the fact that former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers also liked the tweet.
The organization didn’t even call me to ask if I wanted to take a pay cut. They just released me after going in the media and saying me and Aaron jones were apart of the future plans. They could’ve just told me the truth. I could easily be bitter but I’m not. https://t.co/f9Wvqbgiqv
— De'Vondre Campbell (@Came_Along_Way) March 17, 2024
He said that the defensive scheme hurt the run game as well. In an attempt to prevent the defense from being “gashed,” Campbell claims that the Packers’ linebackers were trained to slow play their run fits in order to trigger at the same time as the team’s safeties.
Because we ran a split safety system meaning we use our safeties a lot in the run fit so if I shoot my gap before the safety triggers we can get gashed so most of the time me and quay were just tryna buy time for our safeties to get there. We don’t have MOFC structure https://t.co/HVdFC5LP6d
— De'Vondre Campbell (@Came_Along_Way) March 17, 2024
Additionally, Campbell asserted that the defense improved after he started having private meetings with Matt LaFleur and informed the head coach that the group “needed to be more aggressive.” To be aggressive in this situation meant to blitz more from the second level of the defense and play more press man coverage.
You wanna know why we played better??? Because I started going and having private meetings with Matt telling him we needed to be more aggressive. We needed more man and we needed to blitz more and what happened when they listened to me. WE PLAYED WELL AND WON ITS NO COINCIDENCE https://t.co/YlSPBU175D
— De'Vondre Campbell (@Came_Along_Way) March 17, 2024
Not all was bad, though; according to Campbell, defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s strategy also abused fellow linebacker Quay Walker because he was “thinking too much” about it. The scheme of new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley “will fit [Walker] perfectly,” according to Campbell.
Quay is going to be just fine. They just had him thinking too much he’s a dawg you don’t make dawgs think you just let them play. He’s a great player. I think this new system will fit him perfectly. https://t.co/2eheqGVa4S
— De'Vondre Campbell (@Came_Along_Way) March 17, 2024
In the end, it’s difficult to determine if Campbell’s ailments over the years, his usage, or Campbell himself is primarily to blame for his decline. Though he claims that Green Bay is the best organization he has ever been a part of, it doesn’t seem like he has many positive things to say about the coaching staff.