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Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — On their second swing at finding an experienced linebacker this week, the San Francisco 49ers landed on eight-year veteran De’Vondre Campbell.
Campbell and the Niners agreed to terms on a one-year deal Friday morning, a source told ESPN. That agreement comes a couple of days after the Niners thought they had linebacker Eric Kendricks poised to sign before Kendricks had a change of heart and opted for a deal with the Dallas Cowboys. Campbell is expected to sign after passing a physical.
For the Niners, Campbell will step into linebacker Dre Greenlaw‘s role after Greenlaw suffered a torn Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII. Because Greenlaw’s recovery could last into the early parts of the 2024 regular season, San Francisco had been seeking a veteran who can start at weakside linebacker until Greenlaw is ready and then play on the strong side after he returns.
Campbell comes to the Niners after three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, who released him March 13 in a salary cap savings move. At the time of his release, he had three years remaining on a five-year, $50 million contract.
In Green Bay, Campbell had his best NFL season in 2021 when he had a career-best 146 tackles and was a first-team All-Pro. However, injuries limited his playing time and production in each of the past two seasons. He missed 10 games combined in 2022 and 2023 because of knee and ankle injuries.
Late last season, Campbell, 30, posted on social media that he would no longer play hurt. He finished with 75 tackles in 11 games last season.
A fourth-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, he has 779 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 7 interceptions and 8 forced fumbles in his career, which also includes a one-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals.
NFL Network first reported news of Campbell’s deal.
Earlier Friday, the 49ers agreed to re-sign guard Jon Feliciano and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles to one-year deals. Former Lions cornerback Chase Lucas also agreed to a one-year contract with the team.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com