Greg Papa is back in the hospital with advanced heart failure. The longtime 49ers radio voice disclosed the setback to Cam Inman of The Mercury News.
What We Know: Papa, 63, is receiving care at UCSF. His health battle began with a leukemia diagnosis before last season. Greg’s bone marrow transplant in March put his leukemia in remission but worsened his genetic cardiomyopathy, which doctors found in 2023. Doctors are weighing medication, an LVAD, or a possible heart transplant. Meanwhile, Guy Haberman has stepped in alongside Tim Ryan on 49ers Radio Network broadcasts.
What They Said: “A week after that beautiful night in Novato, I experienced another health setback. My genetic heart condition, cardiomyopathy, has greatly worsened due to the bone marrow transplant. The Advanced Heart Failure team at UCSF performed a diagnostic procedure Tuesday morning for a clearer picture of the condition of the heart. I’ve battled hard for a long time. I was in the hospital for 11 weeks, most of it in ICU. My body is starting to wear down, I tell you. I’m battling as hard as I can.” -Greg Papa
What Remains Unclear: It remains unclear whether Papa will need a transplant. No recovery timeline has emerged. “Lunch With Papa” on KNBR and his NBC Sports Bay Area and Sactown Sports appearances remain on hold. It’s also unclear if he will return to the 49ers booth or how long Haberman will fill in.
What It Means: The setback pauses a comeback that just began recently. KNBR rehired him September 10th after previously letting him go. The station expected him to appear daily with John Lund for “Lunch With Papa” from 12p-1p PST. Additionally, NBC Sports Bay Area made plans to utilize him as a studio analyst. Sactown Sports 1140 in Sacramento also arranged to feature him as a football season contributor. Yahoo Sports captured a number of the supportive messages Papa has received from Bay Area fans. A GoFundMe from the David Benzer Strike Out Fear Foundation is helping cover his medical and recovery expenses. Media members are encouraged to help. For now, doctors continue working on his condition as fans wait for updates.
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