The Buffalo Bills have searched for years to find the best combination of pass rushers that they can acquire. General manager Brandon Beane has tinkered with the defensive line multiple times throughout his tenure, pouring tremendous resources into the position over the last decade.
Have the Bills found a combination that works? I’d vote no, as they continuously seem to be searching for that golden goose at edge rusher who can consistently harrass opposing quarterbacks without the need for a blitz.
That doesn’t mean that every signing Beane has made has been poor, as some of those acquisitions were derailed less by the player’s inability to perform and more by unfortunate injuries. Think Von Miller as one possible example.
In today’s installment of “91 players in 91 days,” we discuss another pass-rusher whose first year with the team was derailed by a major injury.
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Name: Michael Hoecht
Number: 55
Position: OLB
Height/Weight: 6’4” 264 lbs.
Age: 28 (29 on 10/5/2026)
Experience/Draft: 6; signed with the Los Angeles Rams following the 2020 NFL Draft
College: Brown
Acquired: Signed with Buffalo on 3/14/2025
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Hoecht enters the second year of the three-year, $21 million contract he signed prior to last season. If he’s on the 53-man roster, Hoecht’s 2026 cap hit is $7,019,647. If Buffalo released him, they’re on the hook for a dead cap charge of $9,318,588.
2025 Recap: Hoecht’s year was cursed from the beginning, as he spent the first six games suspended as a result of a positive PED test. Buffalo knew that the suspension was coming, as Hoecht was forthcoming about it, and they signed him anyway. Hoecht played in all three of Buffalo’s preseason games and was extremely impactful, notching five tackles, one pass knockdown, one tackle for loss, and one sack in those three games. His season debut was highly anticipated, and he did not disappoint upon playing in regular season games. He totaled three tackles, 1.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit on 40 defensive snaps in Buffalo’s 40-14 drubbing of the Carolina Panthers. The following week, Hoecht had two tackles and half a sack in a 28-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he played just 24 defensive snaps thanks to an injury, which we quickly learned was a torn Achilles that caused Hoecht to miss the remainder of the season. He was mic’d up for the Chiefs’ contest, and he chose to stay on the bench after his injury rather than watch the rest of the game from the locker room.
Positional outlook: Hoecht is one of eight outside linebackers on the current roster. Greg Rousseau, Bradley Chubb, T.J. Parker, Javon Solomon, Cade Denhoff, Mike Danna, and Andre Jones Jr. are the others.
2026 Offseason: Hoecht has been rehabbing his Achilles injury with the goal of playing Week One in mind. He has said that he really wants to be ready for training camp, as well, but he knows that the top priority is to be ready to play as soon as possible. He has been spotted sprinting in workouts and working with resistance bands throughout offseason workouts.
2026 Season outlook: While injuries to Jordan Poyer, Maxwell Hairston, and Terrel Bernard were felt in the immediate during the postseason, there’s an argument to be made that no injury impacted Buffalo’s defense more than Hoecht’s, as the immediate boost to the team’s pass rush that he provided was clear and obvious. Who knows what would have happened had his Achilles not torn during that win over the Chiefs. Perhaps the Bills would have picked up an extra win or two and made up the ground they needed on the New England Patriots in order to claim another AFC East crown. Could Hoecht have continued his breakneck pace over a larger sample size? We’ll never know, but hopefully, we’ll be able to see what his impact will be this season.
Hoecht is a versatile player, as he was used in a variety of roles during his time with the Rams. Former head coach Sean McDermott and former defensive coordinator Bobby Babich deployed him in a few ways, as well, as he was used outside and inside, with his hand in the dirt and in a two-point stance. In new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s defense, that versatility will certainly come in handy. In two seasons as an outside linebacker with the Rams prior to coming to Buffalo, Hoecht logged 137 tackles and nine sacks across 34 games, 22 of which were starts. He had 13 tackles and a sack in three playoff games, as well.
What Hoecht does this season is likely tied to his availability, at least in the early going. Buffalo won’t want to rush him back, but they’ll definitely want to use him in some capacity as soon as his body allows them to do so. Hoecht stands to be one of Buffalo’s top edge rushers. There’s no doubt that he’s going to make the team. The question is how much can he do, and when can he do it.
Hoecht is likely going to be a rotational piece, swapping in as a part of the top-four edge rushers with Rousseau, Chubb, and Parker. If he can provide even half of the juice he did last offseason, we’re looking at a seven-or-eight-sack pace. That would be fantastic for a Buffalo defense in desperate need of pass rush. Hoecht’s health is one of the big X-Factors for the team this season. If he’s healthy, he should wreak havoc in a good way.
