49ers broadcaster Greg Papa begins comeback six months after transplant

Greg Papa once struggled to walk from his bed to the bathroom without supplemental oxygen. Now, six months after a bone marrow transplant and a series of life-threatening complications, the San Francisco 49ers broadcaster is preparing to return to the cameras.

Papa, 63, spent much of the past year in hospital rooms after doctors diagnosed him with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on July 16, 2025. The disease had been found in his brain and spinal column. His treatment included chemotherapy and an allogeneic bone marrow transplant, followed by an exceptionally difficult recovery.

He spent 78 days at UCSF Health, much of that time in intensive care. He developed pneumonia, both lungs collapsed, chest tubes were inserted and he spent a week on a ventilator. Four blood clots also formed, including one that traveled to his lung. The damage left him dependent on supplemental oxygen for short walks and led him to consider whether he might eventually need a lung transplant.

His recovery has moved far faster than his medical team expected. Patients undergoing this type of transplant typically need 12 to 18 months to return to their pre-diagnosis level of functioning. By early September, Papa had removed the oxygen tanks from his home. He remains easily winded, however, and his lungs are still damaged.

Rehabilitation now fills part of his daily routine. He walks about 2,000 steps, uses exercise bands and lifts light weights after losing 36 pounds following the transplant. He has regained about 17 pounds. His next step is a return to sports broadcasting, with an expected appearance as a studio analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area's 49ers Pregame Live before San Francisco opens its regular season against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia. He is also expected to take part in postgame coverage and has been medically cleared to potentially resume his radio duties when the 49ers host the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.