By admin 
Greg Papa is returning to broadcasting.
It was announced Tuesday the legendary play-by-play voice will be back covering the San Francisco 49ers by having a “significant role” on NBC Sports Bay Area’s pre- and postgame coverage of games, as well as the “49ers Talk” podcast.
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Papa, 63, will be working for the first time since getting fired by KNBR during his recovery from leukemia that kept him from calling 49ers games on the radio last season. Papa told NBC Sports Bay Area that he plans on returning to the booth to call 49ers games at some point in 2026. Until then, he will continue to be replaced by Guy Haberman.
Papa was fired from his weekday radio show at KNBR earlier this month soon after he became cancer-free and nearly died from his treatment. He spent 78 days at the UCSF Medical Center, where in addition to his treatment he dealt with pneumonia and the collapse of both lungs.
“I was in an induced coma for five days,” Papa said in a television interview with NBC Bay Area. “It went from a life-threatening situation, for certain, to a life-altering one. I made a lot of progress, so I’ve been home. I’ve made a lot of progress since late July.”
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Papa also underwent a key bone-marrow transplant in which his sister, Judy, served as the donor.
Papa will be flanked by long-time 49ers reporter Matt Maiocco, Jennifer Lee Chan, Rod Brooks, Bonta Hill and studio host Kylen Mills as part of NBC Sports Bay Area’s coverage.
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