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Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott made it clear the team is looking forward to getting some reinforcements on defense
The Buffalo Bills had to wait six weeks to see what edge rusher Michael Hoecht could do on the field, and he didn’t disappoint.
But just as quickly as Hoecht burst onto the scene following his suspension for the use of performance-enhancing drugs, he was gone again. The versatile edge rusher suffered a torn Achilles in the team’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs, abruptly ending a season that showed great promise.
Now, Hoecht has some unexpected good news on when he could hit the field again.
Michael Hoecht Expects to Return for Season Opener
Even though the recovery for a torn Achilles can often stretch more than 12 months, Hoecht believes he will be at the shorter end of the spectrum. Appearing on the Centered on Buffalo podcast this week, Hoecht said he believes he could follow in the footsteps of a former teammate and return in the summer.
When asked if he would return in time for Week 1, Hoecht shared his even more optimistic projection.
“Yeah, that’s very much my expectation, I think it’s everybody else’s expectations,” said Hoecht. “Timelines for Achilles, they can be as short as—I can remember (Seattle Seahawks running back) Cam Akers, teammate of mine with the Rams, he did his in five months.”
Hoecht added that he should be “ready to go” in time to fully participate in training camp.
“It used to take maybe a year, I don’t really see it taking that long,” he said. “But my own personal goal for myself is to be done by July 1 and then hopefully ramp up for camp.”
Hoecht looked as if he could become a major piece of Buffalo’s defense before his abrupt end to the season. Hoecht returned from his six-game PED suspension for the team’s win over the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 26, recording 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He had another half sack in the team’s win over the Chiefs before suffering the season-ending injury.
Hoecht is known as a versatile player who can line up anywhere along the defensive line or as a linebacker, though the Bills didn’t get a chance to use him much during the 2025 season.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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