The air in the Bay Area feels different on Sundays lately. If you’ve tuned into the official sf 49ers play by play recently, you probably noticed a voice—or rather, a rotation of voices—that isn't Greg Papa. It’s been a weird year for the Faithful. We’re used to that "Touchdown, San-Fran-Cis-Co!" growl ringing through the speakers of every lifted truck from San Jose to Santa Rosa. But 2025 and the start of 2026 have thrown us a massive curveball that has nothing to do with Kyle Shanahan’s playbook and everything to do with the legends behind the mic.
Honestly, the 49ers' season has been a rollercoaster. They finished the regular season 12-5, looking like world-beaters one week and scratching their heads the next. But for fans who can’t make it to Levi’s Stadium, the play-by-play is the lifeline. It's how we experience the grit of a Christian McCaffrey plunge or a Fred Warner hit.
The Empty Chair in the Booth
The biggest story of the year for the broadcast team was the health of Greg Papa. In August 2025, the team dropped the news that Papa would be stepping away to undergo cancer treatment. It was a gut punch. Papa isn't just a guy talking over a game; he's the first broadcaster to ever hold roles with five of the region’s major pro teams. He is the Bay Area's voice.
To fill those massive shoes, the 49ers didn't just pick one person. They went with a "committee" approach for the sf 49ers play by play duties, which felt a bit chaotic at first. You had Guy Haberman taking the lead, but the rotation included Justin Allegri (the voice of the Cal Bears), Troy Clardy from Stanford, and Carlos Ramirez. Even Jack Smith, the 2025 Jim Nantz Award winner, got some reps.
- Guy Haberman: The primary fill-in with a decade of Pac-12 and Big Ten experience.
- Tim Ryan: The constant. "T-Ry" stayed in the booth, providing that gravelly color analysis that perfectly complements whoever is calling the action.
- The Rotation: It kept things fresh, sure, but it also made the "sound" of the 49ers a moving target all season.
Breaking Down the Divisional Heartbreak
The most recent sf 49ers play by play that everyone is dissecting happened just yesterday. On January 17, 2026, the Niners went up to Seattle for a Divisional Round showdown at Lumen Field. If you listened to the call, you could hear the tension. Seattle has been a nightmare for San Francisco lately. Just two weeks prior, the Seahawks stifled the Niners 13-3.
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In this playoff matchup, the play-by-play data told a depressing story for the Red and Gold. The Niners' offensive success rate was hovering around 36%. That basically means for every ten plays called, six were effectively duds. Without George Kittle—who was out with an injury—the middle of the field was a ghost town.
Brock Purdy was under siege. The Seahawks’ defense, ranked No. 1 in DVOA, seemed to know exactly when the motion and play-action were coming. Every time the radio announcer shouted "Purdy back to pass," fans held their breath. Usually, that’s a good thing. Yesterday, it was because the pocket was collapsing in roughly 2.4 seconds.
Where to Get the Real-Time Updates
If you're trying to find the best way to catch the sf 49ers play by play as it happens, you've got a few options, but they depend on where you are.
- KNBR 680 AM / 104.5 FM: This is the flagship. If you're in the car anywhere in Northern California, this is where you'll hear Tim Ryan and the rotating crew.
- The 49ers App: Great for in-market fans, but they use geofencing, so don't expect it to work if you're sitting in a bar in Chicago.
- Sactown Sports 1140 AM: The go-to for the Sacramento crowd.
- NFL+: If you're out of market, this is basically the only legal way to get the home radio feed synced up with your phone.
People often ask why they can't just listen to the TV audio. Honestly? TV announcers talk to people who can see the screen. Radio play-by-play is an art. They have to tell you the yard line, the formation, the wind direction, and the look on the coach's face all in about six seconds.
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The Metrics That Mattered in 2025
Looking back at the stats from this season, the play-by-play logs show a team that lived and died by the explosive play. When the Niners won, they averaged over 7.5 yards per pass attempt. When they lost—like that ugly 30-19 game against Tampa Bay in October—the play-by-play was a repetitive cycle of "short gain" and "incomplete."
The defense, led by Robert Saleh (back in the fold as DC), kept them in games. Watching the play-by-play text stream on sites like ESPN or Pro-Football-Reference, you’d see a lot of "Sack by Nick Bosa" or "Malik Mustapha tackle for loss." Mustapha really stepped up this year, especially in the playoff game where he hunted down Sam Darnold for a 10-yard loss that momentarily gave the Faithful hope.
Actionable Tips for Following the 49ers
If you want to stay ahead of the game and not just react to scores, you need to change how you consume the sf 49ers play by play information.
First, stop relying on the "Gamecast" animations on your phone. They're delayed by about 30 seconds. If you want the fastest updates, follow beat writers like Matt Maiocco or Grant Cohn on social media; they're often posting the result of the play before the TV broadcast even snaps the ball.
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Second, if you're listening to the radio while watching the TV, use a "radio delay" app. The TV signal is usually 10 to 15 seconds behind the local radio broadcast. There’s nothing worse than hearing the radio announcer scream about a touchdown while the TV shows the team still huddling up.
Lastly, pay attention to the "success rate" metrics. Traditional stats like total yards are kind of lying to you. A 400-yard game doesn't matter if you can't convert on 3rd and short. The 49ers' struggle in 2025 was often about those "high-leverage" plays. When you're reading the play-by-play, look for the "expected points added" (EPA) on specific drives. It'll tell you much more about why the team actually won or lost than the final score will.
The 2026 offseason is going to be a long one after that Seattle loss. We'll be waiting to see if Greg Papa returns to his rightful place in the booth and if the Niners can finally figure out how to beat a Pete Carroll-less Seahawks team that seems to have their number.