49ers sign radio color commentator Tim Ryan to extension

With 49ers color commentator Tim Ryan’s new deal, both he and play-by-play broadcaster Greg Papa are under contract through 2028

Coming off back-to-back NFC title game appearances, the 49ers still appear to be a contender with the potential to be one of the NFL’s best for quite some time.

The red and gold have also confined their team to the broadcast booth for an extended period of time.

Tim Ryan, the 49ers’ longtime color commentator for radio broadcasts, has signed a contract extension that will keep him in the booth until 2028, the team announced on Wednesday.

Ryan is in his tenth season as a radio analyst for the 49ers, and he has worked alongside play-by-play man Greg Papa since 2019. Ryan and Papa are both under contract with the 49ers until 2028.

Ryan was a standout offensive and defensive lineman at Oak Grove-San Jose before transferring to USC to play defensive tackle. He was a third-round pick in the 1990 NFL Draft and played for the Chicago Bears for four years before retiring and going into broadcasting.

If Ryan completes the remaining years on his contract, he will be the 49ers’ longest-tenured broadcaster since play-by-play announcer Joe Starkey, who called games for the team for 20 years (1989-2008).

Papa worked as a play-by-play announcer for the Oakland Raiders for 21 years (1997-2017) before being let go before the start of the 2018 season. The 49ers hired Papa for the same position after a one-year hiatus, replacing Ted Robinson and pairing him with Ryan.

Papa and Ryan are currently in their fifth season on the air and have each signed a five-year extension.