The substation theory surrounding the San Francisco 49ers is just that, a theory. But said theory has reared its head back into the forefront of the conversation after the latest injuries to some of the Niners players.
Through five practices at training camp, the list of injured 49ers players has grown tremendously. Some injuries are cause for more concern than others, and some are just everyday pains from playing pro football.
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In case some forgot, 49ers general manager John Lynch actually looked into the substation claims with an independent investigation that dismissed the theory that continues to go viral whenever one of the 49ers goes down with injury, especially when in the Bay Area.
Reminder for the electromagnetic field-supposition folks: Football is a dangerously physical game. Injuries are bound to happen.
It should be no surprise to anyone, that, yes, the chances football players get hurt are extremely high. No matter the severity.
San Francisco already has 13 players on the injured list, plus Brandon Aiyuk is on the reserved list.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Aiyuk given the number of injuries that have already plagued the 49ers’ receiving room. Veteran wide receiver Mike Evans hurt his quad. Rookie wideout De’Zhaun Stribling is nursing a hamstring injury.
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Ricky Pearsall is out for the entire 2026 season with season-ending surgery to repair the PCL in his knee. Christian Kirk, who was brought to the team during the offseason, has a calf injury. George Kittle is making his way back from an Achilles injury he suffered in a wild-card playoff win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The tailbacks took a blow, too. Jordan James injured his ribs. They are taking things slow with rookie Kaelon Black following an adductor injury.
Vederian Lowe has a hurt ankle.
It’s not just the offensive side of the ball dealing with nagging injuries, it’s defense, too.
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Defensive end Mikail Kamara suffered a knee injury. He was waived by the team on Sunday, Aug. 2, the team announced.
Like Black, defensive end Keion White suffered an adductor injury. For safety Malik Mustapha, it’s his hamstring. Rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton bruised his knee. Linebacker Andrew Farmer II tweaked his back.
49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris spoke to reporters following a practice and addressed the concern of his injured defense, especially on the line.
“It’s hard to say level of concern. You’ve got [DL Nick] Bosa out there. You’ve got [DL] Romello Height. [DL] Mykel Williams coming back off injury,” Morris said. “You know they’re going to all come back at some point. You’ve got [DL] Keion White out there. You’ve got a bunch of different guys that can give you such a presence.”
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No pun intended, but to add insult to injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan was in a car accident that caused some to hold their breath, although he is okay after the collision.
Most of the injuries are nothing to get worked up about. Guys are listed as day-to-day or have been out of practice but working out on the sideline. Injuries are a big factor in the game.
The Niners are hoping to be healthy, not just by Week 1 when they travel to Melbourne, Australia, to open the 2026 season against the Los Angeles Rams, but throughout the entirety of the season.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: San Francisco 49ers already face numerous injuries days into training camp
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