Joe Rogan has recently added his voice to the chorus of individuals speculating whether an electrical substation might be contributing to a surge in injuries plaguing the San Francisco 49ers.
This week, the team announced they are examining the possibility that the substation, located near both their training complex and Levi’s Stadium, might be linked to the string of significant injuries that almost derailed their season yet again.
In 2025, quarterback Brock Purdy grappled with turf toe, while tight end George Kittle suffered a hamstring strain followed by an ACL tear. Defensive end Nick Bosa also tore his ACL, linebacker Fred Warner broke his ankle, and players like Ricky Pearsall, Mykel Williams, and Juan Jennings faced their own injury woes.
As the 49ers delve into this issue, it has piqued the interest of Rogan, who discussed the topic on his podcast with evident intrigue.
“I was just reading this wild story about the 49ers and San Francisco. Isn’t it crazy?” Rogan remarked. “They think it might be real.”
Joe Rogan has given his view on the San Francisco 49ers injury conspiracy theory
The theory claims San Francisco’s injury problems are the result of the nearby substation
He elaborated, “There’s an unusually high number of severe injuries coming out of San Francisco, and their training facility is right next to this power station.”
‘I mean, way more Achilles tendon blow outs, way more knees blown out, way more catastrophic ligament and tendon ruptures.
‘The players started talking about all this in 2012, I believe. And people were like, “all that’s nonsense.” Now, the stats are in, and you’re looking at the amount of injuries that come from this area, it’s like, this is not normal.’
Rogan was discussing it with his guest, the author Paul Rooslie, who asked Rogan if he thinks the Niners players are getting weakened by the water.
‘Electricity,’ Rogan replied. ‘By the EMF signal. EMF signals we know disrupt human beings, but to what extent? To what extent does LED lights, is it minimal, do you feel it? Do you not? Does it have long term effect, does it take forever?
‘But they are looking at the data from this one training facility and are like hey, this is not normal. This is a much higher percentage of injuries.’
Earlier this week, as the 49ers held a press conference reflecting on their 2025 campaign after losing in the playoffs to Seattle Seahawks, GM John Lynch said that the organization are aware of the story.
‘Because it deals with allegedly the health and safety of our players, I think you have to look into everything, he told reporters. ‘We’ve been reaching out to anyone and everyone to see, does a study exist other than a guy sticking an apparatus underneath the fence and coming up with a number that I have no idea what that means? That’s what we know exists.
49ers tight end George Kittle tore his Achilles in the playoffs after other injury issues in 2025
Linebacker Fred Warner missed most of the season for the 49ers after a broken ankle
‘The health and safety of our players is of the utmost priority. We pore into it. I know that a lot of games have been won at this facility since it opened, but yeah, we aren’t going to turn a blind eye.’
The substation has been operating since 1986 but expanded in 2014. The 49ers opened their nearby practice facility in 2988 and won three Super Bowls in the next seven seasons.
Jerrold Bushberg, a radiology professor at UC Davis and the chair of the board of directors at the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, has said he thinks there there is no link between the station and the injuries.
‘There is no firmly established evidence,’ he told Front Office Sports.
