GREEN BAY

Packers $50 million star issues angry message, vows to no longer play hurt

Due to their performance over the last two weeks, the Green Bay Packers defense has been under heavy criticism, and at least one of the team’s stars is starting to feel the brunt of it.

On the morning of Tuesday, December 17, De’Vondre Campbell came to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express his displeasure with the criticism that has been leveled at his performance and to announce that he will no longer try to play through injury as a result.

When something goes wrong, people always use it against you, so I’m not going out of my way anymore, and I’m not playing through injuries either, Campbell added. “I’m treating everyone fairly and returning their energy to them in kind. You owe it to yourself to take care of your mental health and well-being.

Injuries Have Cost De’Vondre Campbell 7 Games Over Past 2 Seasons

It’s unclear if Campbell was angry at the media, the fans, or the Packers themselves, but either way, the club will have to deal with losing its starting inside linebacker in the future if it wants to make the playoffs.

A first-team All-Pro in 2021, Campbell’s knee ailment kept him out of four games in 2022. He disclosed in July that a “nagging shoulder injury” that he “never told anyone about” also hindered him for a large portion of that campaign.

This season, Campbell has made appearances in 10 of the 14 games. He missed three games earlier in the year because of an ankle ailment and another game in late November because of a neck injury.

The fact that Campbell tweeted on Tuesday so soon after giving up 135 passing yards in coverage in a 34-20 home defeat to the Tampa Bay Bucs two days prior, seems to indicate that he wasn’t fully well at the time of the game. But Campbell was never mentioned by the Packers in the official injury report that was released before to the game.

As a result, it’s unknown if Campbell is still dealing with the aftereffects of his neck injury or if he had a fresh ailment over the previous several weeks that wasn’t disclosed. Since accurate injury reports are essential to sports betting and sports gambling is now legal in most of the United States, it is even more concerning that the NFL compels clubs to disclose all injuries on a weekly basis.

It’s plausible, though, that Campbell is dealing with a condition the team was unaware of until Tuesday, considering his recent history of concealing a shoulder problem in 2022.

De’Vondre Campbell Has Not Played Up to New Contract

Playing on a $2 million prove-it deal after four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and a mediocre 2020 season with the Arizona Cardinals, Campbell was excellent for the Packers in 2021.

The linebacker signed a five-year, $50 million contract to remain in Green Bay because of his play, but he hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations that come with that kind of money. Over the course of his eight-year NFL career, Campbell has delivered what may have been his worst pass-coverage season in 2023, giving opposition quarterbacks a combined completion rate of 72% and a career-low collective rating of 111.2, according to Pro Football Reference.

Campbell is presently ranked 54th among the 80 players who have played enough snaps in 14 games to qualify for the NFL by Pro Football Focus at his position.

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