49ers GM Debunks Substation Injury Theory

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch dismissed a persistent conspiracy theory linking the team's injury woes to a nearby electrical substation during remarks to reporters ahead of the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday. The theory, which emerged during the 2025 season, suggested that electromagnetic fields from the substation near the team's Santa Clara practice facility and Levi's Stadium could be weakening players' soft tissue and increasing injury risks.

Lynch detailed an independent investigation commissioned by the organization, which involved a scientist with over 45 years of experience studying electromagnetic forces. The expert assessed exposure levels at the facility and concluded there was no cause for concern. "It basically was a big nothing burger," Lynch said. "We're in a safe place of work. It's a normal place of work. It's a normal gym. We are safe, we're healthy, and we feel really good about that." The findings indicated that electromagnetic exposure was comparable to that in a typical gym or workplace and 400 times below any unsafe threshold.

The substation, a standard power grid component visible near the practice facility along Bill...