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Bay Area sports broadcasting giant Greg Papa made his first public appearance since getting fired by San Francisco’s sports radio station KNBR this week, discussing his near-death experience fighting cancer and his hopeful return to the booth as the radio voice of the 49ers.
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Papa spoke with NBC Bay Area’s Raj Mathai in an interview that aired Thursday from his home that included tearful realities, family gratitude and hopeful defiance. The interview ended with Papa doing his signature touchdown call after he signaled he hoped to return to calling games at some point this season.
“Goals are hard. I have a goal in my mind,” Papa told Mathai. “But as I say, things change. I’m cleared to go back on the radio show that I had, that I no longer have.”
Papa’s name made headlines last week when news broke of KNBR firing the 63-year-old soon after he became cancer-free and nearly died while receiving treatment. Papa came down with pneumonia causing both lunges to collapse. He was placed on a ventilator in intensive care. He recovered enough to return to his home in North Bay in July after roughly two and a half months at UCSF Medical Center.
“I was in an induced coma for five days,” Papa said. “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. If you’ve noticed, I don’t have any oxygen. I don’t use it at all.”
Papa discussed how his sister, Judy, provided blood for a bone marrow transplant that helped save his life; how he thought of his brother, Gary, who died of prostate cancer 16 years ago; and his late parents.
“She literally saved my life with her blood,” Papa said of his sister. “I can’t imagine, I can’t imagine my mom and dad looking down, one of their children literally saving the other’s child’s life. It’s unbelievable.”
Papa said he thought a call with KNBR decision-makers would be about his return to work. But instead he was let go, and then the station took days to address the firing publicly.
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“We’re not able to comment on the specifics of his departure, but we want to be clear about this: our respect and gratitude for everything Greg has given to KNBR, its listeners and its team runs deep. We are continuing to explore ways we can bring his voice back to the station, and we wish Greg strength, healing and a full recovery,” KNBR said, in part, in a written statement, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Papa and his cohost Greg Silver were both let go, with KNBR moving on from their “Papa & Silver” show. They replaced the show with longtime Bay Area sports voice John Lund, who hosts “Fair and Biased” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Papa said he anticipated going back to his radio show, which he had done from home over the last year following his leukemia diagnosis in August 2025.
“The talk show was always something I thought I could return to,” Papa said. “Doing games is a different challenge. So I was fully preparing to return to work. There was never a discussion that would not be the case. And then, one day you get a phone call. I thought it was a return to work plan. Again, I was cleared. … And they went the other way and they chose to terminate my contract. So I went from terminal, to terminated in a short period of time.
“But I’m also indestructible.”
Papa’s immediate plans are unknown. He mentioned he’s been supported by the 49ers, who have had Guy Haberman call games in his place.
With Papa currently unemployed, the David Benzer Strike Out Fear Foundation created a fundraiser to help with Papa’s medical expenses.
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