Longtime NFL Announcer Shockingly Fired Just Weeks Before The 2026 Season
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Shocking news from the NFL world: Greg Papa will not be calling games in 2026.
There have been several things to happen before the season, but this might be the most shocking one.
Papa is an iconic American sports broadcaster renowned for nearly four decades of play-by-play work. That comes across nearly every major professional franchise in the San Francisco Bay Area, including a celebrated tenure as the radio voice of both the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers.
His career has faced significant disruptions due to severe health issues and media shakeups. However, he was always there to do his job.
Beloved 49ers Broadcaster Greg Papa Abruptly Laid Off from Radio Gig Right Before NFL Kickoff
The fast-paced sports media landscape experienced an unexpected wave of corporate reshuffling right before the upcoming regular season.
The stunning administrative shakeup stems directly from a major programming pivot enacted by station management at KNBR 680 AM. Subsequently, the highly respected broadcasting veteran Greg Papa was let go from his daily midday hosting duties alongside his longtime partner.
This sudden corporate dismissal comes at a particularly challenging personal time for the seasoned 42-year-old broadcaster. Additionally, the famous microphone technician has spent recent months recovering from a serious medical diagnosis that required extensive hospitalization.
Consequently, football traditionalists and West Coast radio listeners are heavily discussing how the media group intends to restructure its daytime audio programming going forward.
Papa Will Always Be a Legend
Greg Papa is best known for his versatile play-by-play calling across multiple major professional sports leagues. He served as the iconic radio voice of the Oakland Raiders for 21 years. He was famous for his trademark “Touchdownnnnnnnnn Raiders!” call.
In 2019, he became the play-by-play radio voice for the San Francisco 49ers. In the NBA, he began his career with the Indiana Pacers before moving to California to serve as the radio announcer for the Golden State Warriors.
He later called games for the San Antonio Spurs. In baseball, he spent over a decade as the television play-by-play announcer for the Oakland Athletics and later called games for the San Francisco Giants.
It is unknown what the cancer survivor will do next.
