At this point, after all the injuries they’ve suffered, whether it’s to Ricky Pearsall or rookie De’Zhaun Stribling, it seems like it’s the San Francisco 49ers against the world. Or maybe their biggest foe is the nearby electrical substation that’s sparked one 49ers injury conspiracy theory after another among NFL fans.
The 49ers did try to put those rumors to bed. The team hired an independent scientist to study whether electromagnetic fields from the Silicon Valley Power substation near its Santa Clara facility could be affecting players.
General manager John Lynch called the findings “a big nothing burger,” saying the facility is safe and that EMF levels measured roughly 400 times below unsafe thresholds. Outside experts had already dismissed the idea; Bristol Medical School epidemiologist Frank de Vocht, a leading authority on EMF exposure, told The Washington Post the theory is “nonsense”, and the 49ers have practiced on that site since the late 1980s, years before the substation expanded alongside Levi’s Stadium in 2014.
But the internet never forgets a good joke.
49ers Injuries Re-Ignite Electric Substation Theory
Lynch announced Saturday that Pearsall would be placed on season-ending injured reserve and undergo surgery within a couple of weeks, with a recovery timeline of six to 12 months. The 49ers filled his roster spot by re-signing Deebo Samuel to a one-year deal.
David J. Chao, the former Chargers team doctor known online as ProFootballDoc, warned that the specific procedure Pearsall faces carries added risk, writing that PCL reconstruction graft surgery follows a similar timeline to an ACL repair but with less reliable full recovery. He called it “career threatening,” adding that he hoped it would not prove career ending.
Pearsall’s injury strikes some fans as odd. One user on X even highlighted the fact that the 49ers’ 2024 first-round pick had never missed a game across five seasons in college.
“Just a friendly reminder that Ricky Pearsall didn’t miss a single game in his 5 college seasons. I fear this is just the 49ers injury curse. There’s no other way to put it.”
Just a friendly reminder that Ricky Pearsall didn’t miss a single game in his 5 college seasons
I fear this is just the 49ers injury curse
There’s no other way to put it
— Bryce DeGroat (@NFL_Convo) August 1, 2026
Yet, perhaps the best reaction to what’s become a somber situation in San Francisco was one commenter who declared that the “Electrical substation is putting up Hall of Fame numbers right now.”
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
“The electrical substation is putting up Hall of Fame numbers right now.”
The electrical substation is putting up Hall of Fame numbers right now https://t.co/nJUfLwgsEu
— Topper | Dynasty Takes (@TopDynastyTakes) August 1, 2026
One commenter piggybacked off that theory, saying, “That electrical station is undefeated.”
That electrical station is undefeated https://t.co/LuFwKDpP9l
— Chris Chous (@Chris_Chous) August 1, 2026
With their recent string of bad luck, one commenter suggested that the 49ers “have the worst injury luck ever.”
“The 49ers have the worst injury luck ever lmao. That substation really be doing numbers on them 😂🤣”
The 49ers have the worst injury luck ever lmao
That substation really be doing numbers on them 😂🤣 https://t.co/HMxHvrHVvh
— Joey Carrion (@JoeyCarrionDFS) August 1, 2026
One commenter has just had enough. They believe it’s time to “get away from that electrical substation immediately.”
“This team has to get away from that electrical substation immediately.”
This team has to get away from that electrical substation immediately https://t.co/w0w9BnHqXr
— Toad (@LearnToToad) August 1, 2026
The data is less dramatic than the punchlines. An analysis by The San Francisco Standard found the 49ers sit on the upper end of league averages in injury rate and games missed but are not a statistical outlier, which undercuts the premise the substation theory rests on. San Francisco also went 12-5 last season and won a playoff game despite the attrition.
Meanwhile, the ‘Sleeper49ers‘ account was quick to tally all the 49ers’ injuries thus far. It’s a long laundry list of maladies, and as they pointed out, it’s “only August.”
“- Ricky Pearsall out for season
– Jordan James fractured his rib
– Christian Kirk is hurt
– De’Zhaun Stribling has hamstring tightness
– Mikail Kamara was carted off the field
It’s only August”
– Ricky Pearsall out for season
– Jordan James fractured his rib
– Christian Kirk is hurt
– De’Zhaun Stribling has hamstring tightness
– Mikail Kamara was carted off the fieldIt’s only August pic.twitter.com/mifcFwBKIF
— Sleeper49ers (@SleeperSF49ers) August 1, 2026
ESPN’s camp tracker confirms most of that list, adding OT Vederian Lowe (high right ankle sprain), DT Gracen Halton (knee bone bruise), DL Andrew Farmer II (back) and S Malik Mustapha (hamstring). Kirk’s issue is a calf strain. Kamara, an undrafted rookie out of Indiana, was carted off with an apparent knee injury. One clarification on Stribling: the 49ers made a point of saying the rookie is dealing with tightness, not a strain, and are simply being cautious.
Then, one commenter put together a long post suggesting that if the 49ers didn’t have such bad injury luck, head coach Kyle Shanahan would have more Super Bowl wins than three-time champion Patrick Mahomes.
“If the San Francisco 49ers had just average injury luck, Kyle Shanahan would have more Super Bowl wins than Patrick Mahomes.”
Yet, the NFL never celebrates those who could have; it only remembers those who won.
