The San Francisco 49ers are no strangers to tough breaks on the injury front, but a recent wave of speculation has taken things to a new-and unexpected-place. After another season where injuries nearly derailed a promising campaign, the team has acknowledged it's looking into a theory that’s gained some traction among fans and even players: Could an electrical substation near their training facility be contributing to the problem?
That theory, which has been floating around for years in some corners of the fanbase, got a fresh jolt of attention this week when Joe Rogan brought it up on his podcast. Rogan, never one to shy away from fringe ideas, dove into the topic with a mix of skepticism and curiosity, pointing to what he described as a “disproportionate amount of catastrophic injuries” coming out of the 49ers’ camp.
“So, there’s a disproportionate amount of catastrophic injuries that come out of San Francisco,” Rogan said. “Way more Achilles tendon blowouts, way more knees blown out, way more catastrophic ligament and tendon ruptures.”
He went on to suggest that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from the nearby substation could be playing a role, citing concerns about long-term exposure to EMFs and their potential effects on the human body. “We know EMF signals disrupt human beings, but to what extent?”
Rogan asked. “They’re looking at the data from this one training facility and are like, ‘Hey, this is not normal.’”
The 49ers’ facility, located near Levi’s Stadium, sits just outside the perimeter of the substation in question. That substation has been in operation since 1986 and was expanded in 2014. The team’s training center opened in 1988, and it’s worth noting that the Niners went on to win three Super Bowls in the seven seasons that followed.
Still, the recent injury list is hard to ignore. Quarterback Brock Purdy dealt with turf toe in 2025.
Star tight end George Kittle suffered a hamstring strain before tearing his ACL. Defensive end Nick Bosa also tore his ACL, and linebacker Fred Warner broke his ankle.
Ricky Pearsall, Mykel Williams, and Jauan Jennings also found themselves sidelined with various ailments. It’s a brutal list for any team, let alone one with championship aspirations.
The theory has reportedly been discussed among current and former players, though experts have been quick to push back on the idea that the substation is to blame. Jerrold Bushberg, a radiology professor at UC Davis and chair of the board of directors at the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, says there’s simply no scientific evidence linking EMF exposure to sports injuries.
“There is no firmly established evidence,” Bushberg told Front Office Sports.
Still, the 49ers aren’t dismissing the concerns out of hand. Speaking at a press conference earlier this week following the team’s playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, general manager John Lynch confirmed the organization is taking a closer look.
“Because it deals with allegedly the health and safety of our players, I think you have to look into everything,” Lynch said. “We’ve been reaching out to anyone and everyone to see, does a study exist other than a guy sticking an apparatus underneath the fence and coming up with a number that I have no idea what that means? That’s what we know exists.”
Lynch emphasized that the team takes player health seriously and won’t ignore any potential factor that could be contributing to the problem.
“The health and safety of our players is of the utmost priority,” he added. “We pore into it. I know that a lot of games have been won at this facility since it opened, but yeah, we aren’t going to turn a blind eye.”
It’s a fascinating situation-part science, part speculation, and all very real for a franchise that’s seen far too many of its stars sidelined in recent years. Whether the investigation turns up anything concrete remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the 49ers are leaving no stone unturned in their search for answers.