Desperate for answers, the 49ers investigate phantom causes while ignoring deeper, internal issues plaguing their injury-riddled roster.
The San Francisco 49ers are heading into another offseason asking the question: Why does this keep happening?
After yet another season derailed by injuries, the organization has made it clear that no explanation, even one bordering on conspiracy, will be ignored. General manager John Lynch confirmed this week that the team is willing to investigate claims surrounding the electrical substation near the training facility and Levi’s Stadium, a theory that has gained traction online and even seeped into the locker room.
But while the 49ers will do their due diligence, the reality is far more uncomfortable.
Because if history has taught the NFL anything, it’s that injury epidemics like this are rarely about invisible forces. They’re about surfaces, workload, recovery, and internal processes and when teams start losing stars at this rate, the first real fingers are always pointed inward.
A season swallowed by injuries#
The list of players lost or compromised this season paints a brutal picture. San Francisco saw season ending injuries to cornerstone pieces like Nick Bosa (ACL), Fred Warner (broken ankle), and George Kittle (Achilles). First-round pick Mykel Williams also suffered a torn ACL, stalling what was expected to be a major developmental year.
Even when players weren’t lost entirely, availability was a constant issue. Brock Purdy battled through a turf-toe variant, Christian McCaffrey played through significant shoulder issues, and pass catchers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings dealt with overlapping lower body injuries. Linebacker Tatum Bethune’s groin injury further thinned an already battered defense.
By season’s end, the 49ers had 20 players on reserve lists, accounting for more than $95 million in adjusted annual value which was the highest figure in the league. At what point is it more than just a bad stroke of luck?
San Francisco led the NFL in adjusted games lost just a season ago and did the same in 2020. When injury trends persist across multiple years, coaching staffs, and roster iterations, coincidence stops being a satisfying explanation.
The EMF theory#
The idea that electromotive force exposure from a nearby substation is contributing to injuries has been widely debunked by medical professionals. While the team is right to investigate anything related to player safety, there’s little evidence suggesting EMF exposure causes torn ligaments, ruptured Achilles tendons, or recurring soft-tissue injuries.
What the theory does represent, however, is desperation. They are searching for an external cause when the internal ones are harder to confront.
Because the truth is, NFL teams have far more control over practice intensity, recovery protocols, load management, and surface exposure than they do over infrastructure built decades ago.
Turf, travel, and wear and tear#
One of the most obvious factors working against the 49ers is the modern NFL’s reliance on artificial turf. San Francisco routinely plays on turf, both at home and on the road, and research continues to link turf surfaces to higher rates of lower body injuries.
When compounded with long travel, short recovery windows, and a physical brand of football that emphasizes yards after contact, the margin for error shrinks quickly.
By December and January, players are breaking down because of accumulated stress, not because of one singular moment.
The uncomfortable spotlight: strength and conditioning#
Fair or not, this is where scrutiny always lands.
Strength and conditioning staffs are responsible for managing workload, monitoring fatigue, and preparing players’ bodies for the grind of a long season. When players, especially the stars, consistently go down, questions follow.
Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have both emphasized that injuries can’t be eliminated, only mitigated. But mitigation requires constant evolution. What worked two years ago may not work now. And what works for younger rosters may fail aging cores carrying massive snap counts.
Searching for real answers#
The 49ers insist they’ll conduct a full organizational review, and they should. Looking into everything is the right approach. But the answers most likely won’t be found beyond the fence.
They’ll be found in the grass underfoot, the reps logged in practice, and the recovery between Sundays.