LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 22: Broadcaster Greg Papa of the San Francisco 49ers studies on the plane on the 49ers way to their game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on August 22, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 49ers and Raiders tied de …
SAN FRANCISCO - Greg Papa, a Bay Area radio fixture and the "voice of the San Francisco 49ers," is returning to the booth.
Back for final two home games
What we know:
Papa, the longtime KNBR host and 49ers play-by-play announcer, will resume his duties for the team’s final two home games of the season. His return begins Dec. 28, when the 49ers face the Chicago Bears.
Bob Sargent, the 49ers’ director of broadcast partnerships, announced the news on Wednesday on KNBR’s "Papa & Silver" show.
"We need our man in the seat that we’ve kept very, very warm for him," Sargent said.
Papa had already returned to his KNBR show, which he co-hosts with Greg Silver, in September.
Cancer diagnosis
Dig deeper:
Papa announced in August that he was stepping away from the airwaves after being diagnosed with cancer, choosing to focus on treatment and recovery.
But now, Papa said, "I’m back."
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Papa was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in July and spent 23 days in the hospital. He is now in remission.
"I really feel, physically, just about 100% for the first time in a while," Papa told the Chronicle one day before the announcement went public.
The Source: Information for this story comes from KNBR's "Papa & Silver" Dec. 17 show, along with the San Francisco Chronicle and previous reporting.