The Buffalo Bills added to the defensive side of the ball on Monday night, signing DT/DE/LB Michael Hoecht to a three-year deal worth up to $24 million.
Hoecht comes to Buffalo after four solid seasons with the Los Angeles Rams after going undrafted in 2020. He has shown immense versatility in playing all over the defensive line as a defensive end and tackle while also moving to outside linebacker. He has since been listed as a linebacker, according to Pro Football Reference. He also brings tons of post-season experience, having played in seven playoff games, including winning a Super Bowl championship in 2021.
Read below for a full injury history and analysis of Michael Hoecht.
Injury History
NFL
2020 Los Angeles Rams
No publicly reported injuries.
2021 Rams
No publicly reported injuries.
2022 Rams
No publicly reported injuries.
2023 Rams
Knee injury, Week 12, missed 0 games.
Hoecht made his first appearance on the injury report with a knee injury that left him questionable for Weeks 13 and 14. Head coach Sean McVay noted that this knee injury was affecting the outside portion of his leg, more of the IT band, and letting the area calm down.
Fortunately, he did not see a notable drop off in his snap counts those weeks and continued to perform.
2024 Rams
No publicly reported injuries.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
I was shocked when this was all that I found regarding his injury history. He has not missed a game yet in his career.
Even looking back at his college career with Brown, there wasn’t anything that stood out health-wise. The only injury that he has appeared on the injury report for that I could find was his knee injury during the 2023 season that appeared to be an IT band issue. This was classified as a knee injury due to where the IT band inserts at the top of the fibular head, which is on the outside portion of the knee, as seen below. The IT band acts as a lateral stabilizer of the knee and assists with hip abduction or kicking out sideways.
This would have likely been more of a nagging issue that would have required some rehab and rest but nothing that would have required extended missed time or surgery. This is also something that typically does not linger. It’s possible he was hit, and the area became inflamed as a result. There is zero concern regarding his prior knee injury or his overall history.
Final Thoughts
Seeing how he has played multiple defensive positions and plays a lot of special teams, he reminds me of former Bills LB Lorenzo Alexander. Granted, Hoecht has played fewer positions than Alexander, but I can appreciate that he has played multiple defensive positions and contributes frequently on special teams. He appeared to be mostly a depth player, except for when he started every game at linebacker in 2023.
Hoecht is as healthy as they come, and considering the contract they paid him, I expect him to be on the 53-man roster but contribute considerably.
I wish Michael Hoecht the best of luck and hope he remains healthy during his time here in Buffalo.
Top Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated
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