In 2024, Josh Allen edged out Baltimore Ravens‘ quarterback Lamar Jackson in the MVP race 27-23, winning his first AP MVP award. Despite Allen becoming the first Buffalo Bills QB to win the honor, the league remains divided over the competition between Allen and Jackson. And now, with the 2026 season approaching, the QB is leading as an MVP favorite. However, a former NFL player and Super Bowl XXXVII winner is throwing shade at the Bills QB while favoring Lamar.
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“I’m going with Lamar Jackson and Baltimore. For the first time since 2010, they got a single-digit murder rate going on in Baltimore, and their 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. Stop playing. Stop playing. A bunch of people have a chip on their shoulder,” said HOF Warren Sapp on Chris Simms Unbuttoned.
Sapp’s argument comes even after Allen has evidence to support his case. It directly questions the narrative that made Allen the 2024 season’s most valuable player.
Though the numbers show why the debate remains unsettled. During the 2024 season, Jackson threw for 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns, and four interceptions, along with 915 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Whereas Allen finished with 3,731 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and six interceptions, with 531 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, yet he won the MVP honor.
Jackson also became the first player in NFL history to reach 4,000 passing yards and 900 rushing yards in the same season.
While speaking on his MVP loss to Allen back then, Jackson made the case that it was a voters’ choice. “The voters chose who they wanted to pick. It is what it is.”
However, Allen’s case was not just about statistics. The Bills’ QB tied in the league as he recorded 12 rushing touchdowns, while dominating Buffalo’s offense with his ability to extend plays and turn crucial situations around.
The same gap was noticeable between the two QBs in the 2025 season. Allen appeared in all 17 games last season, throwing for 3,668 passing yards, 25 TDs, and 10 INTs.
Jackson, however, played only 13 games but still managed to finish with 2,549 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
For Sapp, the argument goes beyond statistics. His reference to Jackson staying out of the spotlight points towards availability, consistency, and off-field stability as part of his examination.
Whether that changes the MVP debate is uncertain, but Sapp has clearly chosen his side for the Super Bowl win, and he is not backing away from it.