The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with many injuries to their star players over the last few years, including Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Nick Bosa.
Next to San Francisco’s practice facility and Levi’s Stadium is an electrical substation, and with all of the injuries the 49ers have suffered, there are now conspiracy theories that the substation is part of it.
Robert Saleh Jokes About Electrical Substation Near 49ers’ Facilities
The conspiracy theory is that the electrical substation is the cause of the 49ers’ recurring injury issues.
Those who believe it think electromagnetic radiation from the power grid weakens players’ soft tissues, making them more prone to injuries.
Recently, former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was asked about his views on the matter during an appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast.
“There’s gotta be something to that. When you put down an electronic reading in a microwave, it’s not doing nothing,” Saleh said. “Maybe death by a million paper cuts, I don’t know.”
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Saleh joked that there may be something to the theory, but quickly switched gears to shouting out the York family, principal owner Jed York, along with co-chairs Denise DeBartolo York and John York, for their pursuit of player safety.
How’s Robert Salehs body feel now that he’s away from the substation pic.twitter.com/Frfh7qRKht
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) July 20, 2026
“I’ll say this, the York family, they lead the charge in the NFL with regards to the health and safety of the players,” Saleh added. “They’re second to none when it comes to doing everything they can to help those kids be better.
“You got to see their regen area. There isn’t a dime that they won’t exhaust with regards to regen and helping those players go… So, if there really is a problem, I promise you the York family is going to figure it out and get it fixed.”
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In 2017, Saleh got his first shot as a defensive coordinator with the 49ers and did not disappoint. He took over a defense that ranked last in the NFL in points and yards allowed. In three years, the 49ers reached the Super Bowl with a defense ranked eighth in points allowed and second in yards allowed.
Saleh then got a head coaching shot with the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024 before being fired in his fourth season.
In 2025, he returned as the defensive coordinator in San Francisco and once again took a defense that ranked 29th in points allowed to 13th. According to PFN’s Defense Impact Metric, the 49ers’ defense finished as a top-10 unit in the league twice during Saleh’s two tenures.
Now Saleh has his second head-coaching opportunity, this time with the Tennessee Titans in 2026. Only time will tell how the veteran coach will do with a second chance as the man in charge.
