Bay Area Radio: Greg Papa Goal Is Broadcast Booth

Legendary Bay Area broadcaster Greg Papa will return this season to a significant role on NBC Sports Bay Area’s 49ers Pre and Postgame Live, plus a new weekly “Ask Papa” segment on the “49ers Talk” podcast, with one clear goal.

“Christian (McCaffrey) won the Comeback Player of the Year last year,” Papa said on the podcast. “I’m not a player, but I want Comeback Performer of the Year.”

The 63-year-old also plans to resume his full duties as the 49ers’ radio play-by-play announcer early in the 2026 NFL season while continuing his recovery from a serious health battle.

Papa was diagnosed with leukemia more than a year ago and returned to the radio booth for the 49ers’ regular-season finale last year. He underwent a bone-marrow transplant on March 4, with his sister Judy as the donor.

“The bone marrow transplant did work,” he said. “My sister gave me five million of her cells in a transplant. My bone marrow is strong. I’m healthy. If somebody coughs or sneezes on me, I’m not going to cripple and die.”After being discharged, however, he developed life-threatening lung complications and spent 11 weeks in the hospital. His right lung suffered torsion—a rare twisting that has been documented in only 24 cases—and his left lung later experienced pneumothorax, a collapse that required chest tubes on both sides.

“My lungs aren’t completely back, but I think they’re getting close,” Papa said. “It went from a life-threatening situation. There is no doubt.”

Papa remains passionate about covering the NFL and the 49ers in particular.

“I love being around the team. You know how much I love being at practice, and walk-throughs and just feeling it,” he said. “This has been hard. I missed the preseason. At some point, whether it’s Week 2 or whatever, I can get back into the radio booth and do my thing. Just being around the team and around you guys and watching it all is going to be certainly a healing process in itself for me.”