Warren Sapp is betting on Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens to break through this season, and his explanation was anything but ordinary.
On the “Unbuttoned” podcast on Wednesday, the former NFL defensive tackle said, "I'm going with Lamar Jackson and Baltimore," Sapp said on the "Unbuttoned" podcast on Wednesday. "For the first time since 2010, they got a single-digit murder rate going on in Baltimore and they quarterback has not been in the news all offseason. And you can't tell me Josh Allen was the MVP of the National Football League last year."
Jackson is heading into his ninth NFL season in 2026 after the Ravens fell short of the playoffs last year. Still, Sapp sees Baltimore as a Super Bowl team.
Sapp knows plenty about winning at the highest level. He spent 13 seasons in the league from 1995 to 2007, including nine years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and four with the Oakland Raiders.
His career ended with 569 tackles, 96.5 sacks, 29 passes defended, 19 forced fumbles and 12 fumble recoveries in 198 games. He also won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2003, made seven Pro Bowls, earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1999 and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Baltimore will open the 2026 regular season against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Ravens-Colts game will air on CBS, with Andrew Catalon on play-by-play, Logan Ryan as analyst and AJ Ross reporting from the sideline. Fans can also stream the matchup on Paramount+.
Jackson, a two-time MVP, is expected to be central to any Ravens push toward a Super Bowl run this season.
In Other News...
Zay Flowers Just Eased One Big Ravens Concern Before Week 1
Zay Flowers took a meaningful step for Baltimore on the second injury report of the 2026 season, going from limited to full participation after dealing with a hamstring injury. For a Ravens offense that wants its top receivers available and ready from the start, that kind of update matters even this early in the week, especially with Week 1 approaching and the usual early-season caution still in play.
The Colts also had a busy report, with A.J. Haulcy, Drew Ogletree, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Anthony Richardson all receiving status upgrades. Alec Pierce remained limited with a heel injury, though Indianapolis still expects him to play Sunday, leaving the biggest eye on Baltimore's side squarely on Flowers and whether the relief in his status holds through the rest of the week. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henry Just Earned Rare Praise That Ravens Fans Will Love
Scott Hanson, the longtime host of NFL RedZone, recently put Derrick Henry in some pretty rare company, and it is the kind of recognition Ravens fans can appreciate. Hanson singled out Henry as one of the greatest red zone players of the NFL RedZone era, mentioning him in the same breath as Christian McCaffrey while pointing to the kind of scoring presence that has defined Henrys career.
For Baltimore, the praise lands because Henry has already been exactly what the team hoped for when the field gets tight and the end zone gets close. He sits among the all-time leaders in rushing touchdowns and remains a major part of the Ravens offense, a reminder that even as the league keeps changing, Henry is still one of the toughest finishes in football to stop. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Open Week 1 With A Huge Nnamdi Madubuike Concern
The Ravens are heading into Week 1 with a notable hole in the middle of their defense, as defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike will not play against the Colts while he continues to work back from neck surgery. Madubuike has returned to practice, but he has not yet cleared the full week of work needed to be available for game action, leaving Baltimore to open the season without one of its most important interior defenders.
There is still optimism that Madubuikes absence will be short-lived, which gives the situation a different feel than a long-term setback. Baltimore is also monitoring linebacker Teddy Buchanan, who did not fully practice this week as he continues recovering from ACL surgery, so the first week of the season already brings a little extra uncertainty to a defense that expected to have more answers by now. [Read more 🡒]