The Los Angeles Rams' offseason continues to roll along. What started with Matthew Stafford’s return led to Cooper Kupp’s release and the Rams have been making moves to try and stay atop the NFC West next season.
But while the Rams have made some big moves, they’ve also lost some players along the way. Michael Hoecht was one departure after he signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Buffalo Bills. But while he was celebrating his first big contract, he ran into some bad news that will delay his start with his new team.
Recent Rams Departure Michael Hoecht Tagged with PED Suspension
Bills general manager Brandon Beane announced on Friday that Hoecht and Bills defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi were suspended six games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs (PED) policy. According to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia, Hoecht will be able to participate with the team through training camp before being away from the team for four weeks.
It’s a brutal blow for a player who was an ascending pass rusher with the Rams. Hoecht didn’t miss a game, collecting 13.5 sacks in his four seasons with Los Angeles. He set a career high with 81 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, six sacks, two passes defended, and a forced fumble in 2023. He followed it up with 56 total tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, and two passes defended last season.
Hoecht also put up solid pressure numbers for the Rams, with 19 pressures and a 14.3% win rate on 254 pass-rushing snaps.
A native of Oakville, Ontario, Hoecht was expected to slot behind Greg Rousseau on the Buffalo depth chart but could push for a larger role based on the size of his contract. Instead, Hoecht will spend the first six games on the sideline, and the 27-year-old will get off to a rough start with his new team.