PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WKBW) — The NFL is not a fairy tale, and nobody understands that quite like Michael Hoecht.
In March of 2025, the Super Bowl champion defensive lineman left the Los Angeles Rams in free agency to join the Buffalo Bills, the team just two hours away from his hometown in Toronto. A few days later, we learned Hoecht would be suspended for the first six games of the 2025 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
He patiently waited to return, and when he did, his play was worth the wait. In his first game, he had 1.5 sacks and three total tackles. The following week, he had two tackles and half a sack, but midway through his second game, he went down with a non-contact injury. He knew almost immediately he had torn his Achilles.
“Obviously, I wish it didn't happen, but now that I did, how do I attack this the best way that I can?” Hoecht told 7 Sports. “I mean, if you get down on yourself, it's going to make it way harder, and it's already hard enough as it is, so you might as well be positive about it.”
Hoecht said he used the time away to rebuild his body and better prepare himself for a new defense with new responsibilities. With Jim Leonhard now calling the shots, Hoecht will be an even more integral piece than he was expected to be last year, and he’s ready for the added responsibility starting Week 1.
"If we told him he has to go 80 reps, he'd go all 80, and he goes full speed with it all," head coach Joe Brady said about Hoecht's rehab this summer. "We're working, you know, hand in hand in terms of, you know, the volume and the reps as we go, but he's handling it great and he's got a great mindset."
“This is a world that I've lived in really well, and it's kind of like where I, you know, got my feet wet in the NFL, and it's something that I really know,” Hoecht said.
I asked Michael Hoecht how he feels in Buffalo after a brutal first year.
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) August 3, 2026
“How can you not fall in love with this place? The fanbase, the culture, the new stadium, just the excitement around it and the history around it. It’s a fantastic place to play football.” pic.twitter.com/QxvqlEeCND
The 28-year-old edge rusher knows if the Bills are going to get to where they’re trying to go, he’s going to be a big contributor. His injury and disappointing season in 2025 are plenty of motivation, but winning a championship for Buffalo is the biggest of them all.
“How can you not fall in love with this place? The fanbase, the culture, the new stadium, just the excitement around it and the history around it. It’s a fantastic place to play football.”
You can watch our entire 1-on-1 interview with Hoecht at the top of the page!
