Former NFL quarterbacks Derek and David Carr have a theory about why the San Francisco 49ers always seem to find themselves dealing with injuries. And no, it isn't a new theory. Yep, you guessed it: more substation talk.

The 49ers' injury history has been a recurring topic in recent years, with fans and media members searching for explanations for the seemingly endless list of injuries that have hit the team. One of the more unusual theories involves the electrical substation located next to the team's practice facility. And with the already long list of injuries through only three days of training camp, questions are being asked again. And some of those questions have been asked before.


Now the Carr brothers have brought up the subject again. During an episode of their podcast, Homegrown, Derek Carr discussed what he believes is the biggest thing holding the 49ers back from reaching their full potential: injuries.

"The Niners, let's just be honest for just a brief moment, which we have been for 47 episodes," Carr said. "The 49ers, every year, are one of the most talented teams we talk about. Their only issue is the injury bug.

"From the west side of their practice facility. We're gonna act like this isn't a thing? There's dead grass. You ever seen a bird flying around on the left side? You ever seen an insect on the left side?"

As Derek continued his comments, his brother David chimed in with an answer to his brother's question about birds and insects near the substation. "Couldn't be. Radioactive waves."

The Carr brothers' comments were clearly made in a lighthearted and speculative manner, but they once again brought attention to a theory that has circulated for years, but predominantly over the past year. As a reminder, David Carr played for the 49ers during the 2010 season. Remember the "We want Carr" chants?


The electrical substation theory suggests that the equipment located next to the team's practice facility could somehow be contributing to the team's injury problems. This topic circulated among 49ers fans and league-wide during the week of the Super Bowl, which was held at Levi's Stadium in February. It was a national story.

Even Joe Rogan got in on the talk. And while he seemed to dismiss the potential for the substation leading to 49ers players' injuries, he admitted, "We know EMF signals disrupt human beings, but to what extent? That's what they're looking at, because this is a much higher percentage of injuries than normal."

Many believe there is no established scientific evidence showing that the substation is responsible for the injuries suffered by 49ers players. Still, the 49ers' injury history has made the subject an easy target for speculation. Whether the electrical substation has anything to do with injuries is anyone's guess. Some people strongly believe there's something to this, though. Do the Carr brothers actually believe this theory, or were they having fun with it?

For now, the substation remains exactly what it has always been in the 49ers conversation: a source of speculation, jokes, and plenty of fan theories. But the topic isn't going away anytime soon. Well, at least until the 49ers figure out a way to stay relatively healthy.

Written By:

Marc Adams


Speaker. Writer. Covering the San Francisco 49ers. Host of the 49ers Camelot show.
YouTube.com/@49ersCamelot
Find the 49ers Camelot show wherever you listen to your podcasts!
All articles by Marc Adams
@49ersCamelot
YouTube Channel


Follow us on: X, Facebook, Threads, Instagram

Nobody's perfect. Did you find a mistake in this article? Report it.

Read Original Article
Visit 49ers Webzone

More San Francisco 49ers News