When a team has trained next to an electrical substation for decades, the sudden idea that it’s responsible for player injuries is bound to raise eyebrows. That’s exactly how the San Francisco 49ers‘ owner, Jed York, responded when asked about the EMF-related speculation surrounding the team’s practice facility in Santa Clara, located right next to Levi’s Stadium.

“People were talking about injuries,” York said during his recent appearance on the Up & Adams Show. “It didn’t seem to affect Jerry Rice. It seems like Jerry Rice can still play today. I don’t believe that’s something that is a real issue. We’ve been there since 1987, next to the substation, and this is the first time that somebody has brought it up. It’s not like it happened last season. Jerry Rice seemed to be pretty healthy during his career, like all those guys seem to be pretty healthy during their career.”

The conversation around the Niners’ facility picked up steam after a social media clip with over 20 million views went viral. The clip claimed the team’s recent injury issues stem from an electrical substation next to the complex. While it’s true that Kyle Shanahan’s teams have dealt with heavy injury lists in multiple seasons, there’s still no concrete evidence tying those injuries to EMF exposure.

York’s Jerry Rice reference is central to pushing back on the theory. The 49ers have trained in Santa Clara since the 1980s, with the substation installed in 1987. Rice debuted with San Francisco just before that period and went on to play through it without any apparent impact. Despite suffering a season-ending knee injury in 1997, Rice still authored one of the greatest careers in NFL history with the 49ers from 1985 to 2000 before leaving for the Oakland Raiders.

During that span, Rice caught 1,281 passes for 19,247 yards and 187 touchdowns in 238 games with San Francisco. In the process, he won three Super Bowl titles, two Offensive Player of the Year awards, and multiple Pro Bowls. If the substation posed a real threat, York’s point is simple: It didn’t show up in the NFL legend’s career.

Of course, Rice wasn’t the only player involved in the 49ers’ dynasty years. Entire rosters trained in the same environment. This was why York remained unconvinced despite the team’s recent injury struggles. Frank de Vocht, a professor of epidemiology and public health at Bristol Medical School, echoed the skepticism. He told The Washington Post that the EMF theory is simply “nonsense.”

Still, the questions haven’t emerged out of thin air. The 49ers’ long injury lists, particularly during the 2025 season, have given the theory oxygen, even if it lacks scientific backing. That context helps explain why Christian McCaffrey chose not to dismiss the conversation outright. The running back addressed the controversy while acknowledging that the team’s injury problems remain very real, regardless of the cause.

Christian McCaffrey wants to look into the EMF controversy

Right before Jed York gave his two cents on the matter, a 49ers running back weighned in on the EMF theories floating around.

“When it comes to EMFs and 5G and phones and blue light and Wi-Fi, it’s not nothing,” Christian McCaffrey shared his thoughts on the EMF controversy last week.

The comment came from a player who has dealt with his share of injuries over a nine-year NFL career. In 2025, though, McCaffrey stayed productive enough to help the 49ers reach the playoffs with his usual explosiveness.

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Even so, McCaffrey still watched several teammates go down throughout the season. That context explains why, although the 29-year-old doesn’t believe the EMF theory is proven, he also isn’t ready to dismiss it outright.

“As somebody who obsesses over my body and being healthy all the time, I look into everything, and that’s definitely something you’ll look into,” McCaffrey added. “If it is something that can affect you, it’s worth (it) to look into and see how to maybe combat it. Do I think it’s as drastic as what people are saying? No, but if it is something.”

Those comments land differently when viewed through the lens of the 49ers’ 2025 season. San Francisco lost multiple cornerstone players to season-ending injuries. San Francisco lost multiple cornerstone players to season-ending injuries, including Nick Bosa (torn ACL), Fred Warner (broken ankle), and George Kittle (Achilles). On top of that, Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings all missed time during the year.

Taken together with Jed York’s skepticism, McCaffrey’s stance paints a middle ground. The electrical substation may not be a proven cause of the injury issues. But when a team is dealing with repeated health setbacks, looking into every possible factor, even unconventional ones, doesn’t feel unreasonable.