SANTA CLARA — De’Vondre Campbell’s acclimation to the 49ers has been eased by the linebacker’s reunion with coach Kyle Shanahan.
The former All-Pro linebacker was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 when Shanahan was the team's offensive coordinator. Campbell has appreciated his current head coach’s football IQ since they met and is continuing to level up his game now that they are back on the same team.
“The thing about Kyle is his mind is insane,” Campbell said after Saturday's training camp practice. “I feel like he’s probably the best in the game in terms of being able to get guys open and that’s something I’ve always respected about him ever since I’ve known him as a rookie in Atlanta.”
Campbell spent his first four NFL seasons with the Falcons after being drafted in the fourth round out of the University of Minnesota. The linebacker played for the Arizona Cardinals for one season before joining the Green Bay Packers for the past three years.
The inside linebacking veteran has been paired with Fred Warner on the field during training camp while Dre Greenlaw recovers from an Achilles injury suffered in Super Bowl LVIII. Campbell has been using both Warner and Shanahan as references since arriving in the Bay Area.
“[Shanahan’s] mind is insane,” Campbell reiterated. “And just being able to see him from — I only knew him as an OC — so actually getting to see him as a head coach, he’s taught me so many things in the short time that I’ve been here on how they are trying to attack us as a defense and it just helps me know how to play certain things.”
Joining the 49ers was an attractive venture for Campbell with Shanahan in the picture but also because of the organization's recent history. The veteran linebacker has admired how the club has been successful over the past several seasons and how they have been built by president of football operations and general manager John Lynch and the front office.
“I’m in the later part of my career,” Campbell said. ”So I just wanted to go somewhere where they were winners and you didn’t have to go through the process of wondering if you were going to make the playoffs or not. The resume here speaks for itself.
“Five straight years, basically they are in the NFC Championship game or the Super Bowl. The resume speaks for itself as far as what Kyle and John and everybody else has been able to accomplish over the past five or six years.”
The 49ers are hoping that Campbell is the answer as Warner's partner not only until Greenlaw’s return but as an important depth piece throughout the entire 2024 season.
