A crushing blow.
The hits keep on coming for the Buffalo Bills’ defensive line, as first-year Bill Michael Hoecht went down with an Achilles injury during the second half of Sunday’s critical AFC matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was later declared out for the game.
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Hoecht knew immediately
Brutal and I mean BRUTAL injury luck for this defense #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/4ma9HkEzDs
— Dom Tibbetts (@DomTibbettsTV) November 3, 2025
After an incompletion on third-and-17, Hoecht limped off the field and was quickly tended to by athletic trainers. The Bills later brought out the cart, but it was reported that the Bills’ edge rusher waved off the transportation to the locker room.
Hoecht remained on the sideline as the fourth quarter continued, with the Chiefs converting a fourth-and-17 en route to a touchdown that helped trim their deficit to one score with 11 minutes 32 seconds remaining in the game. After the Kansas City score, the Bills announced he would be lost for the remainder of the contest due to what is expected to be a significant injury.
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Nov 2, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Michael Hoecht (55) celebrates a defensive stop with defensive end Greg Rousseau (50) in the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Hoecht’s expected long-term absence is a significant blow to the Buffalo defense, which is already without several contributors along its defensive line, including starting defensive tackles Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones.
Hoecht was suspended for the first six games of the regular season due to a suspension under the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Drugs policy, but returned with a vengeance in Week 8. In two games with the Bills, he recorded four tackles and two sacks.
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