One of the more intriguing players that the Buffalo Bills last offseason was DE/OLB Michael Hoecht, who they signed to a three-year deal from the Los Angeles Rams. Even though bringing in Hoecht helped boost up the pass rush, he didn’t get the chance to show what he can do for the first six weeks of the season.
Hoecht was suspended for the first six games of the season due to violating the league’s PED policy, which was extremely frustrating for Bills fans. In addition, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi was also suspended for the same thing.
After serving the suspension, Hoecht made his Bills debut in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers where he recorded 1.5 sacks while also causing a forced fumble. He brought the intensity that the Bills were lacking, and it had fans feeling great knowing that he was paired up with someone like Joey Bosa to bring the pressure.
Unfortunately, his season ended the next week when he tore his Achilles against the Kansas City Chiefs. He played one full game last season, and it hurt the Bills’ pass rush the rest of the season. The good news is that Joe Brady told the media earlier this summer that there were times when they had to “slow down” Hoecht during his comeback process because he was going hard in mandatory minicamp.
Now, Brandon Beane has given Bills fans even more of a reason involving Hoecht to be excited about Week 1.
Michael Hoecht injury update is exactly what Bills fans were looking for
According to Matthew Bove, Beane told the media that "he believes Michael Hoecht will be ready to go for Week 1."
Brandon Beane says he believes Michael Hoecht will be ready to go for Week 1.
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) July 29, 2026
If this does indeed come true, this is going to be a massive boost for the Bills defense. Hoecht already demonstrated that he can be a game wrecker in Sean McDermott’s defense. Now that Jim Leonhard is implementing a 3-4 scheme that is more aggressive and focuses on consistently bringing a pass rush, Hoecht should be able to thrive even more.
As training camp goes on, Hoecht will have to keep proving to the coaching staff that he is ready to go and that he will be ready to suit up for Week 1 against the Houston Texans. Hoecht has talked about how much he enjoys being a Buffalo Bill, and he has already made an impact with very little on-the-field time. Now he gets a fresh start after a year that involved him missing time for a suspension, and then only playing one full game last season.
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