Why De'Vondre Campbell got suspended, not cut, by the 49ers

It’s official: the San Francisco 49ers are suspending linebacker De’Vondre Campbell after he refused to go into Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. That rightfully led to his teammates ripping him and plenty of criticism from around the internet.

But why are the Niners suspending him for the rest of the regular season rather than cutting him altogether? Seems like there’s a good reason for that.

If he gets cut, he could join another team (side note: would anyone want him after all this?). But also, per Pro Football Talk: “By suspending him for conduct detrimental to the team, the 49ers will keep that from happening and they will also be able to avoid paying Campbell his final three paychecks of the year.”

There you go.