The Buffalo Bills have just come off their biggest win of the season after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9, 28-21. While the Bills earned the right to feel happy about the win for 24 hours, it may have come with a cost to one of their key defensive ends.
Defensive end Michael Hoecht suffered a non-contact injury in which he tore his Achilles tendon during the game at Highmark Stadium against the Chiefs on Sunday afternoon, ending his season. Being the champ he was, the resilient, tough defensive lineman had the cart waived off by his command so he could remain with his teammates on the sidelines to cheer them on.
Hoecht tripped to his feet, but kept playing through the snap. The NFL on CBS relayed his injury via @tracywolfson.
Michael Hoecht suffered a non-contact Achilles injury, but he insists on remaining on the bench | via @tracywolfson pic.twitter.com/B1LzKKLxlP
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 3, 2025
Bills biggest need at defensive end and who could replace him?
After a quick two games, the Bills Mafia was very sad to see Hoecht go down with such a no-nonsense injury. It was admirable to see the big man opt not to go out on the cart and stay on the sidelines with his teammates, dealing with the injury later.
But without Hoecht, they will need another player to fill the void and step in and shine in this tough, physical defense. The greatness of DE Greg Rousseau and DE AJ Epenesa from this past game couldn't be ignored, so they will already see their playing time increase.
DE Javon Solomon
The one intriguing player who is already in the Bills organization who could see a huge role now is none other than DE Javon Solomon. At 6 feet, 1 inch, 247 pounds, Solomon is a player the Bills' front office raves about as a 5th-round homegrown draft pick.
He is compared to former Bills DE Von Miller, as he is a slippery, quick pass-rusher who can sack a quarterback with strength and power.
But after weeks buried on the depth chart and now that Hoecht is done for the season, Solomon will finally be able to showcase his skills and become another dominant pass rusher on the Buffalo Bills' stellar defensive line. It all starts in Week 10 against the Fish.
DE Greg Rousseau
What isn't to like about Greg Rousseau? The 6-foot-6-inch, 266-pound athlete was drafted 30th overall by the Bills in 2021, and all he has done is gotten better and better with his speed and quickness to get to the quarterback. He can also be a physical tackler in the run game, which is why he earned his four-year, $80 million contract extension.
DE AJ Epenesa
Playing alongside Rousseau is his co-conspirator, AJ Epenesa. The 6-foot-6-inch, 260-pound talent is another big, strong edge rusher who's not afraid to make the punishing tackles on the quarterback. There was a time in the game on Sunday when QB Patrick Mahomes tried to get out of bounds on the sideline, and Epenesa leveled him out of bounds.
With that type of play and the teamwork of Rousseau, Epenesa, and Solomon all working together, now the hope is that Hoecht's play won't be missed.
Keep in mind, since 2017, HC Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane have taken the Bills from a competitive "Playoff Caliber" team to now a team that is "Super Bowl Caliber". They can play complementary football and are now a team every year, getting tougher to play against in the run game and also on defense.