The San Francisco 49ers might have made it to the divisional round, but not without a brewing controversy. Ahead of the upcoming clash against the Seattle Seahawks, the team’s head coach, Kyle Shanahan, found himself under heavy scrutiny as NFL players questioned the team’s practice field. While it remained a theory for long time, statements from several players recently emerged, adding more concerns to the head coach’s credibility.

According to reporting by the Washington Post, several National Football League players have contacted their agents seeking clarity about the location of the team’s practice facility and possible exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF).

According to the Washington Post, “a viral online theory for the San Francisco 49ers injuries is disputed by scientists, but has some players’ attention.” The story notes that “some NFL players have started to reach out to their agents about the location of the Niners’ practice field,” and that “players have voiced real concerns about the dangers of EMF.” One agent said “the Niners might have to move their practice field entirely,” while another “has wondered why his clients have taken longer to heal while playing with the 49ers.” Some scientists said this “is worth looking into.”

Some player representatives believe the issue could eventually influence the 49ers’ ability to sign or retain free agents. One agent suggested the organization may be forced to consider relocating the practice field if concerns continue to grow. Another agent raised questions after noticing that some clients appeared to recover more slowly from injuries during their time with the San Francisco 49ers.

A particularly brutal toll of injuries was seen in the 2025 season. Star defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a torn ACL in Week 3, ending his season and removing one of the team’s premier pass rushers. All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner was carted off with a severe ankle injury in October. The issue not only sidelined him for months but also left a significant defensive gap.

Tight end George Kittle also sustained a torn Achilles tendon in the Wild Card playoff win over the Eagles. This ruled him out of the remainder of the postseason. Besides him, quarterback Brock Purdy also had to miss time with toe and shoulder issues, adding more to the many existing cases.

However, amid the mysterious claims, the scientists’ verdict has a completely different story to tell.

Experts deny the existence of “so-called mechanisms”

Medical experts are clearly rejecting the idea that a nearby power substation is causing injuries to the San Francisco 49ers. They say there is no proven scientific “mechanism” that explains how low-level electromagnetic field exposure could damage muscles, tendons, or slow healing in athletes. According to these experts, the theory is built more on coincidence than evidence.

A radiology professor from the University of California, Jerrold Bushberg, directly challenged the claims. He told Front Office Sports that “there is no firmly established evidence” that shows how these types of low-level exposures cause biological harm in humans. The expert also explained why the science does not hold up. “These so-called ‘mechanisms’ have not been established, and many of the experiments are contradictory, and many of the experiments have exposures that either don’t relate specifically to 50-, 60-hertz magnetic fields, or are at much, much higher levels than what would be experienced at a practice level,” he told Front Office Sports.

Another expert from Vanderbilt University nodded in agreement. He said research into tendon injuries is “just starting to scratch the surface,”pointing to factors like hydration and hormones. However, despite the acknowledgement, Strasser clarified that he has not seen scientific evidence supporting the substation injury theory. While experts to believe that it is concerning situation, no technical evidence proves the theory.

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