49ers’ Nick Bosa says De’Vondre Campbell was misbehaving before Thursday’s game

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — De’Vondre Campbell Sr. was complaining well before leaving Thursday’s game, said San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, who heard the veteran linebacker acting out in the locker room before the kickoff. ‘sending.

“I was going to say something and I didn’t because I didn’t want to create more of a distraction,” Bosa said Monday. “So, yeah, I kind of saw the foreshadowing. I definitely didn’t think it would come to this and I didn’t know it happened during the match.

Campbell, 31, refused to enter the game after injuries struck the 49ers’ linebacker corps in the third quarter, and he left the field. Instead of firing Campbell, the 49ers suspended him Monday for conduct detrimental to the team, which could allow them to recoup some of his signing bonus. Campbell and his agent did not respond to text messages seeking comment.

None of the 49ers knew exactly what upset Campbell. He had started the previous 10 games at weakside linebacker, but it was always understood that Dre Greenlaw would reclaim that position upon his return from an Achilles injury. One possibility was that Campbell also found himself behind second-year player Dee Winters early in Thursday’s game. When Winters (neck) and Greenlaw (soreness) left the competition, Campbell was next in the rotation but did not want to participate in the game.

Asked if he regretted not fixing the problem before the game, Bosa said: “Not really. If he was going to do that, then he’s not the type of guy to be here.

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir said: “I just lost all respect. I’m a person that gives 110 percent on every play. If I’m injured and the guy behind me doesn’t have my back and can’t come in or doesn’t want to go in, I just feel like he is a cancer for the team.

Campbell also appeared upset when Winters played in front of him during a Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Winters, however, was also injured in that game and Campbell retained his role.

Bosa is one of several players who said Campbell’s abrupt departure was not symptomatic of a rotten locker room.

“Not at all,” he said. “This locker room is awesome. It’s always been great. But sometimes when you bring in someone older, who comes from a different place, you don’t know. For me, he was a good guy. It’s not like I don’t love him. But no, there is no problem in this locker room.

Bosa also shared strong opinions on the 49ers defense and coordinator Nick Sorensen. The unit has played poorly on the road against the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills over the past month, but has stiffened over the past two weeks. Heading into Week 16, San Francisco ranks third in yards allowed, although it is much lower — 17th — in points allowed at 22.9 points per game.

Bosa said it’s clear that his bookend on the defensive line, Leonard Floyd, is more comfortable than he was early in the season.

“His performance from the first Rams game to this one – unbelievable,” Bosa said. “He’s playing an incredible race.”

And he noted that Maliek Collins and Yetur Gross-Matos are on pace for career highs in sacks.

“Watching that tape the other night really turned me on,” he said. “Obviously this year – this game – didn’t go the way we wanted. But I see a lot of guys in our D-line room and I want them all to come back next year. I think we have all the players in our room right now to be that dominant line, and I think we looked like it Thursday night.

He said he hopes Sorensen is back, too, a sentiment he realizes fans and outside observers might not share.

“I’m not saying we played great defense all year,” Bosa said. “Because our red zone (defense) was horrible. I’m just saying that we had to recruit a lot of young people from the start and that can create some confusion and breakdowns. But at this point we’re hitting our stride.

“You can’t play the game for the players,” he said, referring to Sorensen. “You can make calls. And I think he’s improved. I think DeMeco (Ryans) also got better as he went along.

Bosa was one of the players who participated in Monday’s so-called “bonus” workout. He called the rib/oblique injury he suffered “decent.”

“It was a nice weekend off,” he said. “But it’s definitely still there – I have to keep working on it. Hopefully by Sunday this will pass.

Although Winters participated in practice, Greenlaw did not, although he was seen walking around the locker room without the pronounced limp he had after Thursday’s game.

(Photo by Nick Bosa and De’Vondre Campbell: Alika Jenner / Getty Images)