Greg Papa opens up about life-saving transplant & his 49ers comeback attempt

San Francisco 49ers radio voice Greg Papa is beginning to look toward a return to the broadcast booth after enduring one of the most difficult stretches of his life.

Papa joined Sactown Sports’ Carmichael Dave and Jason Ross to provide an emotional update on his battle with leukemia, the 78 days he spent in the hospital, and the bone marrow transplant that ultimately saved his life.

“I thought I was going to die,” Papa said.

Papa spent 11 weeks in the hospital, including roughly 10 weeks in the ICU. During that time, doctors had difficult conversations with him about the condition of his lungs and whether he would survive.

“Terms like your lungs are effectively dying, inevitable. How long do you want to keep fighting? These were all presented to me by different people,” Papa said. “First, it was life-threatening without a question, and then it got better, and then it became life-altering.”

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Greg Papa’s bone marrow transplant took place on March 4, a date he now considers his “second birthday.” His sister, Judy, was a perfect 12-for-12 donor match and provided the cells that allowed his bone marrow to begin functioning again.

“My sister’s 5 million cells; she was my donor, my perfect 12-for-12 donor, that was infused into my body on March the fourth, and that is my new birthday,” Papa said. “We spell March the fourth F-O-R-T-H because we are going forward. We’re going, you know, it’s a march forth. It’s to begin anew.”

The transplant worked, but Papa’s recovery is not complete. He said he remains vulnerable to infections and is still dealing with lung damage and a heart condition that could make a return to the booth challenging.

Still, Papa has already begun thinking about what it would take to call 49ers games again.

“I’m doing great. I’m off oxygen completely, and I’m starting to make moves to go back to work,” Papa said.

Papa recently had his home oxygen equipment removed after successfully going without it for weeks. He is now working on rebuilding his lung capacity and cardiovascular stamina.

A potential return could come as soon as San Francisco’s Sept. 20 home game against the Miami Dolphins, although Papa emphasized that there are still hurdles to clear.

“I think there’s a chance. I’m not sure,” Papa said.

Papa is even considering making adjustments to how he broadcasts, including potentially calling games while seated rather than standing, which has been his normal approach throughout his NFL career.

For now, he is taking things one step at a time. After coming so close to losing his life, simply having the opportunity to contemplate a return to the 49ers booth is something Papa clearly does not take for granted.

“First it was life-threatening without a question, and then it got better,” Papa said. “And that’s kind of where I’m at, and I’ve gotten better.”

Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PDT, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

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Upcoming San Francisco 49ers 2026 Schedule

• Thursday, September 10th – vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia (Season Opener) – 5:35 pm PT
• Sunday, September 20th – vs. Miami Dolphins – 1:25 pm PT
• Sunday, September 27th – vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 pm PT
• Sunday, October 4th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:25 pm PT
• Sunday, October 11th – @ Seattle Seahawks – 1:25 pm PT

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