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Barely a month after KNBR drew considerable criticism for laying off Greg Papa as he was experiencing health issues, “The Sports Leader” is already bringing the Bay Area broadcasting legend back to the station. Papa will return to the station he worked at for seven years in a hybrid host-featured guest role, Cumulus announced Thursday. KNBR afternoon host Adam Copeland broke the news during the station’s 49ers Roundtable, where seven hosts gathered to preview the upcoming NFL season, with the in-person audience at Almanac Beer Company’s Alameda taproom applauding the news. (Copeland said Papa couldn’t join them on the air because of a “scheduling conflict” on Thursday.) Advertisement Article continues below this ad The news comes just five weeks after Papa was laid off from the midday KNBR show he co-hosted with Greg Silver. In an ironic twist, Papa was replaced by his former co-host John Lund, who himself had been laid off by the station in 2024. Copeland said Papa will host an hour with Lund on the daily midday show while also being a regular guest on the morning and afternoon shows. Cumulus was sharply criticized around the Bay Area and sports world for laying off Papa, including by KNBR employees on the airwaves. Two days after news broke, Cumulus put out a rare statement late on a Friday night addressing Papa’s exit. “We’re not able to comment on the specifics of his departure, but we want to be clear about this: our respect and gratitude for everything Greg has given to KNBR, its listeners, and its team runs deep,” the statement, which was not attributed to any person, read. “We are continuing to explore ways we can bring his voice back to the station, and we wish Greg strength, healing, and a full recovery.” Papa hasn’t been on KNBR airwaves for most of 2026, as he’s faced considerable health challenges. Papa temporarily left both KNBR and his role as the play-by-play man for 49ers radio broadcasts last summer when he announced he was diagnosed with leukemia. Papa received a successful bone marrow transplant this spring but was hospitalized twice after the transplant, the second time lasting 78 days after his lungs collapsed. But Papa has been recovering rapidly in recent weeks, which left him stunned at being laid off, quipping to NBC Bay Area that he “went from terminal to terminated.” Advertisement Article continues below this ad Papa has picked up some work in the month since being pushed out of KNBR, increasing his presence on NBC Sports Bay Area’s 49ers shows and adding more frequent appearances on NBC Bay Area’s weekly football shows in the fall. He told SFGATE he wasn’t sure how often he’ll be able to do a full 49ers game broadcast, but he intends to return to the booth if his health permits. Papa also told SFGATE doing daily radio shows would not be an issue for him health-wise, especially if he’s able to do them remotely from his East Bay home. Now, he’ll be able to do exactly that once again in a move that is bound to cause some whiplash for listeners and station employees. It should come as no surprise that KNBR has rehired someone it previously laid off or fired. Lund and Papa have returned after recent layoffs, and Larry Krueger is now on his third separate stint at “The Sports Leader” as a part-time host and guest focused on the 49ers. But Krueger and Lund were away from the station for more than a year. Papa’s total time from fired to rehired will end up being all of 36 days. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This is a breaking news story and will be updated. — 49ers owner Jed York filed for divorce months before arrest — ESPN story says 49ers stopped Shanahan from releasing crash report — The Nick Bosa-Ryan Clark beef, from a MAGA hat to a single emoji — The dark, fascinating life of Christian McCaffrey's grandfather For all of our Bay Area sports coverage, sign up for The Catch newsletter here.