After the San Francisco 49ers’ season came to a brutal end in the Divisional Round with a 41-6 blowout loss to the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks, a familiar feeling set in for the fans. This team felt better than what it showed. And, if not for the injuries, year after year, especially to key players, could the Niners have finally gone all the way?
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A few days after the season ended, GM John Lynch gave the worn-down fanbase hope and said the team would look into “everything” related to the injuries, including the so-called Electrical Substation Theory. According to online sleuths and various reports, the substation near the 49ers’ training facility and Levi’s Stadium is allegedly emitting an external electric field. They believe this has affected players’ collagen and tendons, leading to an increase in soft-tissue injuries.
The list of injured players includes Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and George Kittle, all of whom suffered season-ending injuries last year. Even quarterback Brock Purdy missed time, forcing backup Mac Jones to step in for nearly half the regular season.
Team owner Jed York, however, does not buy the theory. During an appearance on Up & Adams, York pointed out that the substation was built in 1987, even before the 49ers moved to Levi’s Stadium. And until very recently, no one had ever blamed it for injuries.
He even referenced players like Jerry Rice, who was drafted in 1985 and spent 16 seasons with the team, winning three Super Bowls. If the substation were truly an issue, York asked, did it ever slow Rice down?
“It didn’t seem to affect Jerry Rice. It seems like Jerry Rice can still play today. I don’t believe that’s something that is a real issue,” York said.
York went on to say the team will still “look into it,” but at the same time showed confidence that they can debunk the theory as false. He also admitted the injuries the team has faced have been “incredibly frustrating,” and said they need to be better in that area. For now, he added that he has no idea why the team continues to deal with these setbacks.
49ers owner Jed York on the electrical substation theory:
“That’s been there since 1987…Jerry Rice was there, it didn’t seem to affect Jerry Rice….I don’t believe that is something that is a real issue.”
Via: @UpAndAdamsShow
pic.twitter.com/sgtwYAFd48— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) February 3, 2026
The NFL has also dismissed the theory. The league’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said there is no scientific evidence linking EMF (electromagnetic fields) exposure to football injuries. Frank de Vocht, a professor of epidemiology and public health at Bristol Medical School in England and a leading expert on EMF and its effects on humans, went even further, calling the theory “nonsense.”
Still, since even players have raised the issue as something that at least needs to be looked into, the 49ers will definitely do exactly that.
With that said, if the injuries are not the result of the EMF situation, the 49ers have another thing to worry about. Then what is the cause? It could be a long offseason for this team.
