Injuries - 9-Year Analysis | Page 284

NCommand · 2017-08-10T07:50:28-07:00

Updated annually in March/April once released. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- 2023 for 2022 Data Update --- For over 15 years, Football Outsiders has been tracking injuries via their Adjusted Games Lost (AGL) formula that looks deeper into the quantity and quality of injuries. Quite simply, there is an AGL Threshold (between 65.9 - 82.3 on their scale), that if your team is under that threshold, the chance of getting to the playoffs is slim to none. Conversely, if your team is above the threshold, your chance of making the playoffs goes up dramatically. --- For an updated chart, PM NCommand --- But by how much? The teams under this threshold average just 6.77 wins and the teams over it, average 9.37 wins. We all know 9 wins gives you a legit chance of making the playoffs even with a 17-game schedule. In short, there seems to be a direct correlation between team AGL (health) and the number of wins and consequently, the probability of making the playoffs. What does that mean for us? The San Francisco 49ers over the past 9 years have ranked as the 31st most injured team, only behind Washington, as the most injured team in the NFL. And we've closed the gap and only trail Washington by .2 points on the aggregate average rank over that entire span. Kyle Shanahan spoke of the importance of staying healthy: "I feel confident with our guys," Shanahan said. "We got some guys who compete. Collectively, we have a smart group of people who can all play together. And I think we'll be able to surprise some people. But the biggest thing that always comes into (play) is injuries." In every analysis, there are outliers, naturally...teams that had a high AGL (i.e. lots of quality injuries) one year but still made the playoffs, but in ALL of these cases, they had a veteran or Franchise QB such as Tom Brady, Kirk Cousins, Drew Brees, Alex Smith, Andrew Luck, Nick Foles, Philip Rivers, etc. to pull them through that. You can now add Jimmy Garoppolo to that list based on 2019. But NONE of them had enough steam to win a Superbowl. What was also interesting is that many teams that were hit hard one year (i.e. Chicago 2017-2018 - Playoffs), rebounded the next year (extreme/outlier stats). Not us...Washington and San Francisco have been consistently hammered every year. Conversely, our rivals in the NFCW in Seattle and Los Angeles, remain two of the healthiest teams, ranked in the top 5 over this same span. So the next time a fan says, "Every team deals with injuries" you can point to the fact that while all teams do deal with injuries, not all teams deal with the same level of quantity and quality of injuries and this fact has a direct correlation to wins and losses and your team's chances of making the playoffs and winning that chip. So here's to a healthy 2023! We're loooooooooooooooooooooooong overdue. Football Outsiders - Adjusted Games Lost PS: This correlation appears to be as strong as the, 'turnovers-to-wins/losses correlation' metric. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Historical AGL Ranks: Lower = Healthiest 2008 - 6th 2009 - 23rd 2010 - 4th 2011 - 8th (NFCCG) 2012 - 1st (Superbowl) 2013 - 23rd (NFCCG) 2014 - 26th 2015 - 26th 2016 - 24th 2017 - 23rd 2018 - 29th 2019 - 27th (Superbowl) 2020 - 32nd 2021 - 29th (NFCCG) 2022 - 24th (NFCCG)

Jan 7, 2026 at 9:34 AM

#4246

ads_2006
Veteran
Posts: 64,300

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

Jan 7, 2026 at 9:56 AM

#4247

Bay2Bay9erAllday
Veteran
Posts: 11,781

Time for some more plyometrics.

I ran a number of things through meta analysis with the help of AI gathering data on injuries, type of injury and the consensus opinions of prevention if different classes of injury. It lead to one resounding conclusion: poor training methods.

It also dispelled many of the…
— JonnydelsFA (@jonnydels) January 6, 2026

I also read somewhere, that the Rams have their players wear equipment that measures each players load management so that they don't over do it in practice. It's tailored to each player and when that player reaches his load threshold they end practice for them. Maybe something we should incorporate into practice also.

Jan 7, 2026 at 10:14 AM

#4248

BobSacamano69
Veteran
Posts: 1,641

Originally posted by ads_2006:

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

sadly, this is probably a huge factor in our injuries.

Jan 7, 2026 at 10:23 AM

#4249

RonMexico
Moderator
Posts: 79,747

Originally posted by BobSacamano69:

Originally posted by ads_2006:

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

sadly, this is probably a huge factor in our injuries.

Nah

Jan 7, 2026 at 10:26 AM

#4250

elguapo
Veteran
Posts: 26,382

Originally posted by RonMexico:

Originally posted by BobSacamano69:

Originally posted by ads_2006:

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

sadly, this is probably a huge factor in our injuries.

Nah

Other teams have an electrical substation near them (I believe the bills and another team or two) and they are substantially healthier than the 49ers every single year. We are by far the most injured team year after year to not just good players not just great players, but all pros and Hall of Famers. Even if we had average health, we would have at least two more Super Bowls in the last eight years. Sucks

Jan 7, 2026 at 10:56 AM

#4251

genus49
Moderator
Posts: 27,920

Originally posted by ads_2006:

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

Not sure if I got the right info but my understanding was that substation went live in 2022.

Common sense says our 2023 season was one of our healthiest and the injuries in the SB were far from that location and likely had more to do with the poor practice surface than anything. Likewise 2018 was one of our worst injury seasons...before the substation became a thing.

But the 49er fan tired of injuries in me says....get it the F out of here!!! Surround the facility in red light therapy lamps or turn it into one giant hyperbolic chamber for all I care! Just FIX IT!

Jan 7, 2026 at 12:53 PM

#4252

LottDMontanaO
Veteran
Posts: 7,757

Originally posted by ads_2006:

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

None of the usual explanations (turf, scheme, bad luck) hold up. Only one variable is unique, and the players know it in their guts. In early 2025, retired guard Jon Feliciano let it slip:

"Players have joked around about there being an electrical substation right next to the…
— Peter Cowan | Sunlight is Life (@living_energy) January 6, 2026

The San Francisco 49ers are statistically the most injured team in the NFL over the past decade.

Since moving to Levi's Stadium in 2014:

Top-5 in Adjusted Games Lost for 10 of 11 seasons

7-8 full Achilles/patellar ruptures (league avg: 2-3/year TOTAL)

40+ major hamstring/calf…
— Peter Cowan | Sunlight is Life (@living_energy) January 6, 2026

Conspiracy Theory, or...

Does make you wonder.

Jan 7, 2026 at 3:18 PM

#4253

blizzuntz
Veteran
Posts: 55,327

Originally posted by elguapo:

Originally posted by RonMexico:

Originally posted by BobSacamano69:

Originally posted by ads_2006:

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

sadly, this is probably a huge factor in our injuries.

Nah

Other teams have an electrical substation near them (I believe the bills and another team or two) and they are substantially healthier than the 49ers every single year. We are by far the most injured team year after year to not just good players not just great players, but all pros and Hall of Famers. Even if we had average health, we would have at least two more Super Bowls in the last eight years. Sucks

Chicken wings and electrical substation = no prob

avocado toast and electrical substation = injuries

Jan 7, 2026 at 4:00 PM

#4254

Sask49erFan
Veteran
Posts: 1,951

Originally posted by ads_2006:

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

There it is. There has to be a reason why we have so many hamstring and ankle injuries

Jan 9, 2026 at 10:57 AM

#4255

49erKing
Veteran
Posts: 18,763

Originally posted by Sask49erFan:

Originally posted by ads_2006:

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

There it is. There has to be a reason why we have so many hamstring and ankle injuries

Say goodbye to free agents wanting to come here. I'm sure this is all BS but I sure as hell would not want to live next to a substation lulz.

Feb 26, 2026 at 8:56 PM

#4256

InfernoDaLuz
Veteran
Posts: 4,471

The 49ers grades from the players in the NFLPA survey has been released

What do you notice? pic.twitter.com/yHMGrzIjym
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) February 26, 2026

Feb 28, 2026 at 9:26 AM

#4257

jcs
Veteran
Posts: 39,844

Maybe it's less the electromagnetic field and more incompetence from the training staff.