The Buffalo Bills envisioned Michael Hoecht being a difference-maker when they signed the versatile defensive lineman last offseason, but the team knew they would have to wait to see Hoecht’s contributions since he had to sit out the first six games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
When Hoecht finally returned to the field and made his Bills debut, he made an immediate impression…that lasted all of two games, when, on Nov. 2, Hoecht tore his Achilles in a win over the Kansas
City Chiefs.
The typical recovery for an injury like the one Hoecht suffered is nine to 12 months, but Hoecht has been committed to returning as soon as he can, and today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by examining the progress Hoecht has made and why he’s confident he’ll be on the practice field when the Bills begin training camp on July 29.
Michael Hoecht says he’s ‘feeling great’ with his recovery
Last year, in just 64 snaps with Buffalo, Hoecht had five tackles, forced a fumble, recorded eight quarterback pressures and registered two sacks in only seven quarters of football. And then, it was all over when Hoecht tore his Achilles in the home win over the Chiefs. As soon as the injury happened, Hoecht said he started talking to team doctors, trying to gauge how long he would be sidelined.
“Honestly, when I got to the sideline and the doc told me, ‘Hey, this is going to be a 9-to-12-month thing,’ I knew that I was getting ready for the next season,” Hoecht said earlier this offseason after participating on a limited basis in the Bills’ mini-camp session.
In the seven months since Hoecht suffered the season-ending injury, he’s been patiently working his way back to full strength. When Buffalo’s offseason workout program began in April, Hoecht was doing his own conditioning and strength training activities. Then, at mini-camp, Hoecht was working with a Bills trainer on the sideline and even participated in some of the individual defensive drills.
All this progress has Hoecht “feeling great” and feeling confident that he’ll meet his goal of being a full participant when the team gathers at St. John Fisher University for the beginning of training camp.
“After doing enough rehab, you need to start doing things where you don’t necessarily know where your feet are going to be,” he said. “You have to re-teach your brain to say, ‘I’m bending a corner’ and not think, ‘left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot,’ but actually just do it and be an athlete. As far as whether I’m ahead of schedule or not, I don’t 100% know. But I know that I feel really good right now. And in rehab … it’s almost like having a baby. It’s like he’s two weeks old, he’s four weeks old, he’s a month old, he’s six months old. You know, it’s always like what’s that next step that we’re taking?”
- One moment ended his season, now Bills linebacker is racing back – Democrat & Chronicle
- Is Michael Hoecht ahead of schedule? The Bills defender ‘feels great’ at Bills mandatory minicamp – WGRZ
- Michael Hoecht eyes Bills training camp as his target in recovery from Achilles injury – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- Bills’ Hoecht eyes return after injury-shortened 2025 season – Spectrum News
- Bills DL Hoecht feeling good about his rehab from injury – WGRZ
- Bills Pass Rusher Michael Hoecht Sets Return Date as Injury Rehab Continues – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
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