Michael Hoecht made quite the impression in a short amount of time in 2025.
Hoecht, 28, signed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Bills in free agency last season, but his debut was delayed due to a six-game suspension. After serving his suspension, Hoecht made an immediate impact with 1.5 sacks in his debut against the Carolina Panthers. He added another 0.5 sack the following week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but was lost for the season when he suffered a torn right Achilles in the win.
Recovery times vary with Achilles injuries, but Hoecht recently provided some good news on his recovery. According to Hoecht, he plans to be ready for the start of the 2026 season. He revealed this during an interview on Eric Wood’s Centered on Buffalo podcast.
“Yeah, that’s very much my expectation, I think it’s everybody else’s expectations,” Hoecht said. “Timelines for Achilles, they can be as short as… I can remember Cam Akers, teammate of mine with the Rams, he did his in five months.”
While Hoecht’s timeline may be longer than five months, he revealed that he plans to be done rehabbing the injury on July 1.
“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… Knowing me and knowing how I approach things, we’ll be ready to go.”
Hoecht will be playing in a new system in his second season with the Bills. His versatility, however, makes him an outstanding fit, on paper, in Jim Leonhard’s defense. If Hoecht can get all the way back from his injury by July 1, he could be in line for a big season in Leonhard’s aggressive scheme.