Is a hidden electromagnetic field (EMF) secretly sabotaging the San Francisco 49ers? George Kittle's devastating Achilles tear last Sunday only intensified a bizarre scientific conspiracy theory that's been brewing for months. It seems like an unbelievable coincidence that the 49ers are facing such a high number of injuries, but could something more sinister be at play?
Kittle's injury couldn't have come at a worse time, with the 49ers fighting tooth and nail for a playoff spot. But it also poured gasoline on a raging online fire: the theory that the team's practice facility is cursed, not by bad luck, but by science. The facility, connected to Levi's Stadium, sits just north of a large electrical substation in Santa Clara, California. This substation is the focal point of the controversy.
While whispers about the substation have circulated on social media for a while, the claims gained serious traction earlier this year when Peter Cowan, a self-proclaimed circadian health and biophysics expert, went viral on X. Cowan argued that the 49ers' injury woes are directly linked to the electromagnetic fields emanating from the substation. "Low-frequency electromagnetic fields can degrade collagen, weaken tendons, and cause soft-tissue damage at levels regulators call ‘safe,’" Cowan wrote in a detailed post. He claims the 49ers are a real-world test case proving this theory. But here's where it gets controversial... are regulatory 'safe' levels truly safe for elite athletes pushing their bodies to the absolute limit?
Cowan even visited the city-owned Silicon Valley Power’s Mission Substation in December, claiming to have measured elevated levels of "milligauss" – a unit measuring magnetic field strength. He later argued on his Substack that the substation represents a unique and chronic environmental factor affecting the 49ers. And this is the part most people miss... he's suggesting this is a chronic issue, not just a one-off event.
This ready-made explanation for the string of injuries plaguing star players like Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Deebo Samuel, Jimmy Garoppolo, NaVorro Bowman, and Kittle, has resonated with many. Cowan's original post has racked up over 22 million views and counting, proving people are searching for answers.
However, the truth isn't so clear-cut. Cowan is correct that the 49ers have suffered a disproportionate number of injuries in recent years. Before the 2025 season, San Francisco topped the NFL with an average of 101.5 "adjusted games lost" per season over the past decade, according to injury analyst Aaron Schatz. But here's the rub: the Giants (94.8 AGL) and Commanders (91.9 AGL), the second- and third-most injured teams, aren't far behind, and there are no known electrical substations near their facilities. "It’s not a huge outlier," Schatz told The Post. "…They led the league, but not by leaps and bounds." So, are we chasing a red herring?
It's also worth noting that the 49ers have practiced at the Santa Clara facility since the late 1980s, long before Levi's Stadium was built in 2014. Injury concerns tied to the site are a relatively recent development. In the 11 seasons before 2013, San Francisco was among the healthier teams in the league, undermining the idea that the facility itself has always been a problem. They even won three Super Bowls in seven seasons after moving into the facility and featured incredibly durable players like Jerry Rice and Frank Gore.
The scientific community remains skeptical. NYU radiology professor Christopher Collins dismissed the idea, telling SFGate he "honestly can't imagine" the substation causing injuries. He stated that an MRI is the closest thing to explaining how electromagnetic fields could relate to injuries, but that the power lines present couldn't possibly cause the issues. Frank de Vocht, an EMF expert at Bristol Medical School, labeled the theory "nonsense" in a conversation with the Washington Post.
However, some scientists aren't completely dismissing the possibility. University of Albany environmental health professor David O. Carpenter wrote in an email that he did "not find it to be a crazy hypothesis," although he stopped short of definitively blaming EMFs for the 49ers' injuries. "No one wants to believe that something that we are all exposed to and something that is such an integral part of our life can be dangerous in excess, and that is part of the reason it is ignored," he explained. Joel M. Moskowitz, a UC Berkeley public health researcher who studies EMF exposure, stated he "would not rule out a synergistic effect from extremely low frequency EMFs."
While 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne joked about "that power plant" after a recent win, it seems some NFL players are genuinely concerned. Former 49ers guard Jon Feliciano, who played 16 games for San Francisco in 2023 and spent the 2024 season on IR with the team, said players have long believed something was amiss with the substation. "[The substation] was definitely a conversation the whole two years I was there," Feliciano said in an Instagram video. "I truly believe in it… The top-tier athletes are definitely taking that s–t into concern." He apparently isn't alone. Some agents told the Washington Post that players have "real concerns about EMF," and speculated that it could make it harder for the 49ers to attract talent. "They’re gonna have to move [the practice facility]," one agent said. Could this conspiracy theory actually impact the team's future?
With the Super Bowl being held in Santa Clara next month, the substation conversation is likely just beginning. If the 49ers manage two road upsets, they'll have a chance to lift the Lombardi Trophy just yards from the substation. Kittle, unfortunately, won't be on the field. The blame, for now, is anyone's guess.
What do you think? Is this a legitimate concern, or just a case of fans grasping at straws to explain a string of unfortunate injuries? Could EMFs be affecting athletes in ways we don't fully understand? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
