'Madden NFL 27' simulation makes bonkers Bo Nix prediction

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

'Madden NFL 27' simulation makes bonkers Bo Nix prediction

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Aug 12, 2026 3:18 PM ET

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton wishes this latest prediction for third-year quarterback Bo Nix comes true.

On Wednesday, Yahoo Sports published its annual simulation for the NFL season, using the video game "Madden NFL." The site has been running this simulation for the past nine years.

Yahoo's "Madden NFL 27" simulation predicted the Super Bowl winner and more. Its forecast for Nix will stun many.

"Madden NFL 27" predicts Bo Nix will win league MVP

Coming off a broken right ankle suffered in a 33-30 AFC divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills, "Madden" believes Nix will win his first MVP this season. In the simulation, Nix led the league in passing yards (5,074) and tossed 41 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He was the only QB to eclipse 5,000 yards passing in the simulation. No QB has reached this mark since Patrick Mahomes threw for a career-high 5,250 yards in 17 games with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.

An annual @YahooSports tradition: The @EAMaddenNFL simulation.

See how Madden NFL 27 predicts the 2026 season to play out here:https://t.co/KgA991payO
— Anthony Sulla-Heffinger (@AntSulla) August 12, 2026

Nix also led the Broncos to Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, but they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 31-14. The 26-year-old QB leading Denver to the Big Game is more realistic. In 2025, he went 14-3 in the regular season.

Nix, the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, has proved many of his predraft skeptics wrong by helping the Broncos rebound into championship contention. That said, he has yet to produce MVP-caliber numbers and has leaned heavily on an elite defense that features cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

In his first two seasons, Nix averaged 226.6 passing yards per game and logged a 4.6 percent passing touchdown percentage (percentage of touchdowns thrown when attempting a pass). For context, two-time league MVP Mahomes averaged 285.2 passing YPG and logged a 5.7 percent passing TD percentage in his first nine seasons with the Chiefs.

The Broncos improved Nix's supporting cast this season when they acquired wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in an offseason trade with the Miami Dolphins. That will make a difference, but oddsmakers don't believe it will push Nix into the MVP conversation. As of Wednesday, DraftKings Sportsbook lists Nix's MVP odds at +3500. Bills QB Josh Allen has the best odds (+600).

Plus, these Yahoo simulations often get it wrong. Before the 2022 season, the site predicted Cowboys QB Dak Prescott would win league MVP. He proceeded to throw a career-high 15 interceptions in 12 starts.

Even if Nix doesn't win league MVP, the QB could still be in for another big year and steer the Broncos to their third consecutive playoff appearance. That could help Nix, entering the third year of his rookie contract, earn another big reward: an extension during the 2027 offseason.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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