Are the 49ers injuries a result of bad luck or EMF waves?

[Auggie]

Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle / Jan 16, 2026

A viral social media post, with 20 million-plus views, claims that the 49ers’ ongoing injury woes might be linked to the team’s practice fields being located next to the (Santa Clara, CA) Silicon Valley Power Mission Substation.

SNIP

Peter Cowan, in an X thread containing material originally on his Substack, claims the 49ers’ years-long injury epidemic might be due to low frequency electromagnetic field (EMF) waves flowing over the fence from that substation.

“Low-frequency Electromagnetic Fields can degrade collagen, weaken tendons, and cause soft-tissue damage at levels regulators call ‘safe,’” Cowan asserts in his X post. His profile on what used to be Twitter cites “circadian science-photobiology-biophysics,” and he says, “I use the principles of biophysics and circadian biology to help people improve their health and heal from chronic illness.” I reached out to him via email but received no reply.

The damage to tendons, Cowan said in a podcast, is like what happens to a rubber band left in the sun too long. In his post, Cowan states, “The damage is subtle, until a routine cut or block ends in catastrophic rupture.”

Link (paywall): https://eedition.sfchronicle.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=acd50d24-35bb-4880-887e-d7ef9fa11e39&

According to the link ...

• Some 49ers players, past and present, apparently have been on to this theory for years.

• Decades ago there were fears and reports that living or working near high-power utility lines caused all kinds of problems: death to cows and crops and damage to humans’ internal wiring (after years of studies, since concluded, science discovered a weak possible link to childhood leukemia).

• New studies have resumed fueled by the 49ers’ rash of injuries. Per Fox Sports' wild-card broadcast, the 49ers’ 74 games missed by Week 1 starters is third most in the NFL.

• Frank Barnes, professor emeritus at the University of Colorado Boulder, has been studying EMFs for six or seven decades. Says Barnes, "we don't know for sure."

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Probably bad luck. One way they could test this is to move the practice facility.

[Wounded Bear]

1. It's the coach. Shanahan has a history of using players up and moving on...nt

[sboatcar]

2. Easily remedied by wearing tinfoil under their helmets!

[JT45242]

3. Simpler answer -- field quality and injury history

Some of th elost games is that they have had guys with injury histories -- guys who have been hurt before are more likely to get hurt again for a variety of reasons (think about how normal folks if they twist their right ankle end up overstressing the other parts of the right leg or their left leg or back to compensate).
Bosa had to have core muscle surgery in college. Tore one ACl in 2020. Sprained other PCL 2024 and then tore the ACL in the knee with the bad PCL.
Kittle college problems. has had leg or groin injury that cost at least one game in 6 seasons , plus a shoulder injury and a core muscle surgey.
Ricky Pearsall had injury issues in college
Jauan Jennings has had multiple issues with ankles and shoulders. Had 5 ribs cracked
Trent Williams is on the worng side of 30 and and has had ankle problems in 3 straight seasons.
CMC has had major ankle issues since 2020 -- great player when healthy but many think that his playing style and size mean that he is a perpetual injury risk.

The 49ers gambled on a bunch of guys with significant injury history and they have gotten burned -- not as bad as last year, This is a risk management problem not a conspiracy theory problem.


People have complained about the fields the 49ers play on.

Season Games missed rank Outcome
2017 32 6-10, 4th in NFC West
2018 9 4-12, 3rd in NFC West
2019 23 13-3, lost Super Bowl
2020 32 6-10, 4th in NFC West
2021 21 10-7, lost in NFC Championship Game
2022 15 13-4, lost in NFC Championship Game
2023 7 12-5, lost Super Bowl
2024 29 6-11, 4th in NFC West
2025 30 TBD

[Auggie]

6. Highly probable, but it wouldn't hurt to continue studies

Nearly every player in the NFL nurses some kind of injury or another, whether from the NFL, college, or high school.

Linebackers Warner, Greenlaw, and Bethune hade been pretty steady players. Greenlaw tore an Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII just by running onto the field.

[JT45242]

7. Kerwin former GM take on injury

Some gm and owners are willing to go after guys on the draft and free agency that others either downgrade or red flag because of injury.

I know if I were a GM (especially since I have had multiple concussion and have long term effects) that I absolutely would not take a QB with a history of concussions in college earlier than the 6th round. No way would my team have given Tua that contract.

I loved Michael pinnix in college...he was awesome whenever he was upright but those bad offensive lines at Indiana got him hurt, it would have been round 6 before we would even entertain that risk. He may be great, but the risk of busy in round one QB is like 60 percent without injury concerns.

[True Dough]

4. I think the 49ers

should move their training facility to Area 51.

[the_liberal_grandpa]

5. Bemoaning fortywhiner fans don't seem to understand that Injuries are part of the game

All season long a family friend who is a big 49er fan complained about their injuries as if no other team in football suffers them.

I have started calling them the fortywhiners.

Nevertheless I root for them unless they are playing the Rams.

[True Dough]

8. Good data/science-based vid

[Auggie]

9. Fascinating ...

as Spock might say. Thanks for sharing.

Last week GM John Lynch reportedly said in a post-season press conference the 49ers are beginning their own investigation.

Other risk factors I'd like to see explored are playing on artificial surface and recovery time. As the team improved under Shanahan, so did their appearances on MNF and TNF. Explore this scenario with under dominant teams of the same era -- Kansas City, Baltimore, LA Rams, Buffalo, etc.

As mentioned upthread, Lynch does have a history of drafting players despite having suffered severe college injuries. How many have been soft-tissue?

So much hoo-ha over a blog post created by an amateur! As I said suggest in my OP, probably bad luck.

[True Dough]

10. I'm still blown away

that CMC played a full season! Did not expect that, and it was another impressive one.

He'll be 30 when next season gets underway. And Fred Warner, recovering from his ankle injury, will also be 30. And George Kittle, with his torn Achilles, will be 33.

Trent Williams will be 38 next season!!!

The end is nigh for some of the 49ers star players, unfortunately.

[Auggie]

11. Yes! Which brings to mind ...

how the 49ers, a long time ago, released Ronnie Lott, and Joe Montana, and later Jerry Rice, just before they aged out. That was extremely painful for management and fans, but also allowed the team to restock and kept them competitive into the 1990s and early 2000s.

As you point out, Niners have reached that moment in 2026. I'd keep Warner, but seriously consider trading/releasing the others, if possible (no-trade clauses, guarantees, dead cap money, etc). Even McCaffery. They have to be able to match Seattle now. And that starts with rebuilding the offensive line.

It's been a heck of a run though.