PHOENIX — The always-injured San Francisco 49ers are investing $9 million to upgrade their training facilities this offseason and are hiring three more physical therapists.

What they aren’t doing: Wondering if the electrical substation adjacent to the team’s facility in Santa Clara is a cause of their endless attrition. At least general manager John Lynch hopes that will be the case after the 49ers hired an independent scientist they said has 45 years of experience studying electromagnetic fields to determine if there was substance to a viral conspiracy theory that emerged late in the 2025 season.

Lynch’s takeaway from the report from the scientist the 49ers didn’t identify: The theory that EMF was a reason so many banged-up 49ers have landed on injured reserve was a “big nothing burger.”

“We’re safe,” Lynch said Sunday at the NFL owners’ meetings. “We’re in a safe place of work, the levels … are 400 times less than unsafe zones. So it’s a normal place of work. It’s a normal gym. We are safe. We’re healthy. And we feel really good about that.”

The 49ers said the scientist used lab-grade equipment to take EMF measurements throughout their facility and found the exposure was less than what would be produced by a hair dryer or vacuum.

Lynch said in January that he had heard the theory had been “debunked” by experts, but he pledged the team would investigate the issue. And the 49ers had no choice but to do so because many of their prominent players wondered if the Silicon Valley Power Northern Receiving Station was impacting their health.

“That was important to us, not just to turn a blind eye, but to look into it,” Lynch said. “Because it’s our players’ wellness. It’s not only our players’ wellness — it’s coaches, it’s staff. And it’s encouraging. I felt like it would be that way. But it’s encouraging that it came out in a good place.”

Less encouraging: The 49ers’ injury woes aren’t disappearing. Last year, they ranked third in the NFL with 74 regular-season games missed by Week 1 starters before Kittle suffered a torn Achilles in a wild-card win in January. From 2013-21, they led the NFL in adjusted games lost due to injuries, and they led the league in that stat in 2024.

Then, this offseason, the 49ers fared poorly in health-and-performance areas in the NFLPA’s annual report card in which players grade their teams in 11 categories. The 49ers’ training staff (C-minus) received the league’s lowest grade. The team’s training room (C-minus) received the third-lowest grade.

“The report card thing — we think we have really good people, but you can’t just say we have good people,” Lynch said. “Obviously, the players in that report, a lot of (that was about) the facilities.”

The 49ers’ $9 million investment will include expansion of what Lynch termed its “hydro area,” which will include the addition of hot tubs and cold tubs for recovery. The addition of three physical therapists, Lynch said, will allow players to receive more personalized care. The 49ers did not dismiss a member of their health-and-performance staff.

“I think the modern-day athlete wants more one-on-one attention,” Lynch said. “And so that’s something throughout the surveys. When we dug deeper — I think it was not enough personnel. Now we were well-staffed, but we weren’t at the top of the league. Now we’ll be up there. We’re at the top of the league.”

Due to the national media attention the EMF theory received, Lynch was ready to allay any fears when the 49ers spoke with players during free agency. However, he said the topic wasn’t raised.

“Not once,” Lynch said. “Nobody asked about it, which is really interesting. I was prepared. I had my one sheet.”