49ers’ Injury Woes Spark Unusual Theory Ahead of Super Bowl 60
It’s been a bruising season for the San Francisco 49ers, one defined as much by the injury report as by anything that happened on the field. But in the lead-up to Super Bowl 60-set to be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara-a curious theory has started to gain traction among fans and even players: Could an electrical substation near the team’s facility be contributing to the rash of injuries?
Now, let’s be clear-there’s no scientific proof backing this up. The NFL has looked into it and found no definitive link.
But the fact that the league’s chief medical officer acknowledged the theory and said they’re keeping an open mind? That’s enough to keep the conversation going.
Even 49ers GM John Lynch has said it’s worth exploring.
For context, neither of the Super Bowl teams-the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots-are practicing at the 49ers’ facility this week. That decision was made well before this theory started circulating. The Patriots are training at Stanford University, while the Seahawks are getting their reps in at San Jose State.
But the substation talk picked up steam when George Kittle, one of the many 49ers who dealt with injury this season, appeared on The Pat McAfee Show just days before the big game. And when McAfee brought up the theory, Kittle didn’t exactly laugh it off.
McAfee kicked things off by saying he’d heard that Christian McCaffrey-San Francisco’s star running back-goes as far as turning off his Wi-Fi at night because of concerns about the substation’s potential impact.
“Christian is very aware,” Kittle confirmed. “As a professional athlete, you’re doing everything to get 1% better.
What about something that is making you 1% worse? If this substation is making you 1% worse, wouldn’t you want to know about it?”
McAfee pushed back with a dose of skepticism, noting that others might say the effect is “0%.”
Kittle didn’t flinch. “Yeah, they’re haters,” he shot back.
“When they built the stadium, they quadrupled the size of the whole substation. So, a little bit of different energy coming off that thing since they expanded it.”
Then Kittle took it one step further, pointing to linebacker Fred Warner-one of the few 49ers who’s managed to stay relatively healthy over the years.
“Fred Warner does practice and train there year-round. So, did he just absorb the electromagnetic stuff?
And he’s only been hurt once in his career. So, is it people who leave and come back [who] are affected more than people who stay there year-round?”
It’s speculative, sure. But in a season where the 49ers’ injury list sometimes felt longer than their active roster, it’s not surprising that players are searching for answers-especially when they’re doing everything in their power to stay on the field.
As McAfee wrapped the segment, he said what a lot of people are probably thinking: “Hopefully they’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Whether the substation theory holds any water remains to be seen. But in a league where margins are razor-thin and health is everything, even the most unconventional questions are worth asking-especially when they come from inside the locker room.