Defensive lineman Michael Hoecht showed his Canadian toughness after suffering a devastating injury in the Buffalo Bills’ Week 9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The native of Oakville, Ont., tore his Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter of the 28-21 win on Sunday, with his right calf visibly rippling as he attempted to come out of his stance. After attempting to finish the rep, Hoecht hobbled to the sideline on one leg, where he was informed by medical staff that he would need to leave on a cart.
Despite the season-ending nature of the injury, Hoecht, who was mic’d up by the Bills for the game, was captured on camera requesting to stay on the sideline in order to support his team. He then asked to be moved to the defensive end of the bench in order to be closer to his unit, telling concerned teammates and coaches to “go win this f***ing thing” and that they could deal with his injury tomorrow.
The 28-year-old confirmed on social media on Thursday that he had undergone successful surgery at the hands of famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, M.D. He thanked all his well-wishers and indicated that the road to recovery can now commence.
Hoecht joined the Bills in free agency this offseason on a three-year, $24 million contract, but missed the first six games of 2025 after he was suspended for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. He blamed the positive test for elevated levels of testosterone on an unauthorized supplement given to him by a trusted personal trainer.
Since returning to the lineup, Hoecht has been massively impactful for Buffalo, generating five tackles, one tackle for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble in two games. He recorded one sack against Kansas City prior to his injury.
Hoect has played 70 career NFL regular-season games since signing as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, helping that team win Super Bowl LVI. He has recorded 185 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, four pass knockdowns, and three forced fumbles.
The six-foot-four, 310-pound defender played collegiately at Brown University, where he was named second-team All-Ivy League in 2019. The Ottawa Redblacks hold his CFL rights after selecting Hoecht in the second round of the 2020 CFL Draft, but are unlikely to ever see the defender north of the border.
