Greg Papa on being let go by KNBR amid cancer battle: ‘I went from terminal to terminated’

Greg Papa, a well-known Bay Area broadcaster and the lead play-by-play voice of the San Francisco 49ers, recently faced a midday shakeup at KNBR. He was let go along with co-host Greg Silver. This decision came while Papa was battling health complications from his cancer diagnosis. After his diagnosis, Papa underwent a bone marrow transplant, which led to complications such as pneumonia and collapsed lungs. He spent 78 agonizing days in the ICU.

Upon his release from the hospital, Papa signed a multi-year extension with KNBR to continue as the radio play-by-play announcer for the 49ers. However, it remains uncertain if he will be able to return to the booth for the 2026 NFL season. Despite this setback, Papa expressed his desire to continue with his radio show and claimed he’s been cleared to do so. He added that he was fully prepared to return to work and never discussed the possibility of not doing so.

The news of Papa's termination by KNBR sparked outrage, leading Cumulus Media, the owner of KNBR, to release a statement. On Thursday, NBC Bay Area aired the first interview since Papa's health issues came to light. In the interview, Papa shared heartbreaking details about his health battle and the termination. He described his experience from being put on a ventilator to being intubated and in an induced coma for five days.

Despite his progress, Papa found it hard to comprehend how his contract could be terminated so quickly. He described himself as "indestructible" but acknowledged the difficulty of understanding such a situation.