Michael Hoecht is an Ivy League-bred defensive lineman whose 2025 season with the Buffalo Bills ended with a torn Achilles.
Michael Hoecht reached the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Brown and developed into a versatile defender, first with the Rams and then Buffalo. His 2025 campaign was disrupted first by a suspension and later by a serious injury. When healthy, he flashed the disruptive ability the Bills signed him for.
Path to the league
Hoecht played college football at Brown and signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He earned a roster spot and grew into a rotational role, playing along the front and as an edge before joining the Bills, who are moving toward a 3-4 defense.
2025 season
Hoecht served a six-game suspension to start 2025 for an unintentional violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. After returning, he posted two sacks, one forced fumble and two quarterback hits across two appearances, including 1.5 sacks in a 40-9 win over Carolina. He suffered a torn Achilles against the Chiefs on November 2, 2025, ending his season, and Buffalo placed him on injured reserve.
Sources
- Buffalo Bills: Bills place DE Michael Hoecht on Injured Reserve
- ESPN: Michael Hoecht player page
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
2 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | bills | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | rams | 17 | 56 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 | rams | 17 | 81 | 45 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2022 | rams | 17 | 36 | 23 | 4.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | rams | 17 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive End
- Group
- defense
- College
- Brown
- Hometown
- Oakwood, OH, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
Latest news about Michael Hoecht
All news →Bills Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson Carted Off With Calf Strain
The injury adds to a banged-up Buffalo secondary that also includes Tyrell Shavers on PUP with a torn ACL and Michael Hoecht working back from a torn Achilles.
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