The San Francisco 49ers admitted Wednesday that they are at least looking into an online conspiracy theory that is meant to explain their slew of injuries.
49ers general manager John Lynch admitted that the team is at least checking into claims that an electrical substation located next to the team’s practice facility has something to do with the team’s injury issues. Conspiracy theories spread online claiming that the substation is somehow responsible for weakening soft tissue and muscle, and could explain the rash of injuries.
Lynch would not go that far, but he did say the organization would at least do some homework on it.
“Allegedly, the health and safety of our players, I think you have to look into everything,” Lynch said. “Our guys have been. We’ve been reaching out to anyone and everyone to see, does a study exist other than a guy sticking an apparatus underneath a fence and coming up with a number that I have no idea what that means? Yes, we will look into it. We have.”
About that viral video blaming 49ers injuries on an electrical substation…
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) January 21, 2026
John Lynch says they’ll look into it. pic.twitter.com/dX5NMuFSgQ
Lynch probably had to say something about the theory after it went viral following George Kittle’s Achilles injury. Niners wide receiver Kendrick Bourne even jokingly referenced it after Kittle’s injury.
Even Kendrick Bourne is playing into the power plant conspiracy theory pic.twitter.com/T6cmf6sXQ0 https://t.co/ykZwED4KwJ
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 12, 2026
To be clear, there is no real evidence suggesting that the substation has anything to do with the 49ers’ injury issues. While the current training facility opened in 2014, the team has practiced at the site since 1988. The theory went viral mostly because some fans are desperate for any explanation for the 49ers’ slew of injuries beyond them just being bad luck.
In addition to Kittle, the team lost linebacker Fred Warner for most of the season, and have had consistent injury troubles for a few years running. Even before this year, they had fallen victim to some fluke injuries that turned out to be severe. That was enough to convince some that the Niners had something weird going on, but the team will apparently be getting to the bottom of it.
