Radiology Professor Drops Bombshell Claim On San Francisco 49ers’ Injury Conspiracy Theory
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The San Francisco 49ers will play Saturday night without tight end George Kittle. He tore his Achilles during the playoff win over the Eagles.
After the injury, a theory spread quickly on social media. Some fans blamed an electrical substation near the 49ers’ stadium and practice facility in Santa Clara.
A social media user named Peter Cowan claimed that low-frequency electromagnetic fields can weaken tendons and lead to injuries. Cowan says he is “board-certified,” but he is not a practicing doctor.
The theory spread fast. Former players and popular podcasts helped push it online. Kittle’s injury made the attention explode.
Cowan’s post reached about 22 million views on X. It was already gaining buzz before the game, but Kittle getting hurt sent it into overdrive. 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne even joked that “that power plant” caused the team’s injuries.
Former NFL players also discussed the idea on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. Co-host Will Compton said, “We don’t know enough about it, but we know it’s 100% fact.” Other former players, including Taybor Pepper and Kurt Benkert, shared the theory on social media too.
Experts Say Science Does Not Support The 49ers’ Injury Claim
Medical experts say the theory lacks proof. Jerrold Bushberg, a radiology professor at UC Davis, spoke to Front Office Sports and pushed back on the claim. He said, “There is no firmly established evidence” that low level exposure causes harm. Bushberg also chairs the board of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.
Low-frequency electromagnetic fields can degrade collagen, weaken tendons, and cause soft-tissue damage at levels regulators call “safe.”
We have a real world case study proving this:
An NFL team whose practice facility sits next to a massive electrical substation.
THREAD 🧵… pic.twitter.com/fOVvrVTu5I
— Peter Cowan | Sunlight is Life (@living_energy) January 6, 2026
Bushberg explained that many studies use exposure levels far higher than what players experience. He said the science does not show damage at normal levels. He compared EMF exposure to everyday light and said the body does not store damage over time.
The history also weakens the argument. The substation has operated since 1986. The team built its practice facility next door in 1988. The 49ers won three Super Bowls in the 1990s while training there. The team moved to Levi’s Stadium in 2014, but players already practiced near the substation for decades.
Stanford medical professor Alok Patel told ABC7 that the theory makes a “massive leap” from lab data to real life. Northwestern professor Gayle Woloschak told SF Gate that studies show no damage to DNA or proteins from this type of radiation.
Vanderbilt orthopedic surgery professor Nicholas Strasser said scientists are still studying why tendon injuries happen. He noted that factors like hydration and hormones may play a role. However, he also warned that just because two things happen together does not mean one caused the other. Strasser said there is no scientific evidence supporting the substation theory.
The NFL chose not to comment. The 49ers and the city of Santa Clara also stayed quiet. For now, the idea exists on social media, not in real medical research.
