Bills' Michael Hoecht Declares Timeline for Return From Achilles Injury

The Buffalo Bills got some great news on the injury front on Friday.

Michael Hoecht appeared on the Centered on Buffalo podcast, and the Bills’ defensive lineman provided a positive update on his Achilles injury that ended his 2025 season during a Week 9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Host of the podcast, former Bills offensive lineman and current radio analyst Eric Wood, asked Hoecht what his expectation was in terms of his return to action for the upcoming campaign and whether Week 1 was more than a possibility.

‘Be done by July 1’

“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.”

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is brought down by Buffalo Bills defensive end Michael Hoecht (55) and defensive end Greg Rousseau (50) in the third quarter at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

That would place Hoecht at a May return, but he has his sights set on a date that’s a bit later than that.

“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.”

He added, “Knowing me and knowing how I approach things, we’ll be ready to go.”

His impact

Hoecht burst onto the scene with the Bills this past season. The 28-year-old absorbed a six-game suspension due to a violation of the league’s policy prohibiting performance-enhancing substances before recording a chaos-inducing performance in his return during a Week 8 win over the Carolina Panthers.

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He finished the victory over Carolina with 1.5 sacks and added another .5 sack against the Chiefs before he tore his Achilles and was lost for the season. It was a brief stint for Hoecht. Still, in his abbreviated time on the field, he showed the impact he could have for a team that has been desperate for pass-rush support over the past several seasons.

Hoecht is under contract through the 2027 season, and he could be a major boost for new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard if he can get healthy and remain upright moving forward. At this time, Hoecht says that he has remained in Buffalo as he continues to work through his rehab and toward a return to action.