The Buffalo Bills made two key additions to their defensive line in the first few days of free agency, adding former Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Michael Hoecht and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.
Now, the Bills have learned that neither will see the field until the second month of the NFL season.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters on March 14 that the league handed both players six-game suspensions for violating the NFL’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs. While both Hoecht and Ogunjobi will be able to work with the team in the offseason, they will be suspended starting in Week 1 and unable to take the field until October.
Bills Knew About One Suspension
Beane told reporters that they were aware Hoecht was getting a suspension when they signed him in free agency, but did not know that Ogunjobi would be facing a ban as well.
Beane said, via multiple reporters, that the team was aware of Hoecht’s suspension when they signed him, but that they were not aware of Ogunjobi’s ban.
Hoecht also spoke to reporters, taking ownership for the mistake and saying he put his trust in someone he should not have trusted. Hoecht said he had worked with the trainer for years and taken many legal supplements, but he failed to properly check that what he was taking was legal.
“This is somebody I thought I could trust, and that’s where this ultimately becomes my responsibility because as our relationship grew I stopped being vigilant,” Hoecht said.
Ogunjobi learned about his suspension later, and Beane told reporters it was too late to back out of his signing by the time he found out from the NFL.
“Beane explains that by the time Ogunjobi found out about his PED suspension he had already agreed to terms,” noted Bills reporter Chris Brown in a post on X. “Even though he was straight up about his suspension which had not even been reported to the NFL yet, several other DT options were signed elsewhere. And so sticking with Ogunjobi was the way to go.”
Bills Will Face Decisions on Both Players Later
The Bills will be able to wait until later in the season to make a final determination on whether Hoecht and Ogunjobi remain on the roster, as both will start the year on the team’s suspended list.
Both were expected to take on roles in the team’s defensive line rotation, which got an upgrade this offseason with the addition of Joey Bosa. The Bills signed the former Pro Bowler to a one-year, $12.6 million contract.
The Bills also parted ways with Von Miller, cutting the veteran edge rusher in a cap-saving move. Miller struggled to regain his athleticism and speed after his 2022 season was cut short by a torn ACL. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on March 9 that the Bills would be open to Miller returning on a new contract, one with a lower annual salary. It is not clear if the Bills are still looking into Miller after the signing of Bosa, who is stronger against the run than Miller and can play all three downs on defense.
