Banned Bills Superstar Confirms Cheating in a Strong Statement; Addresses Sabotaging Josh Allen & Locker Room

Michael Hoecht walked into his free agency meetings not with leverage, but with a problem. He had just tested positive for testosterone, a violation of the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy that would cost him the first six games of the 2025 season. Most players in that situation would have tried to keep it quiet—bury the news, let the league process play out, maybe even wait until after signing before disclosing it. Hoecht didn’t. He told the Bills up front.

Inside league circles, the reaction was mixed. Some executives saw a culture fit. Others saw risk. But the context matters. Hoecht reportedly tested positive for a synthetic testosterone derivative after working with a private offseason trainer he’d used for years. The mistake wasn’t rooted in performance desperation, but in what Hoecht later described as “carelessness” and misplaced trust. The NFL’s policy doesn’t distinguish between deliberate doping and negligence. Either way, the suspension stands.

Days before his six-game suspension, the Bills signed the sixth-year defensive end on a three-year, $21 million contract. But he will spend the first six weeks of the 2025 season outside of the Bills’ building. The silver lining? Well, he’s taken full responsibility and is looking towards what the next right thing to do is, like a true sportsman.

“I think it was we wanted to negotiate in good faith, like it was my mistake and I was careless and, you know, put faith in people I shouldn’t have put faith in,” Hoecht recently shared on social media, addressing his trusted personal trainer.

“It was my mistake. I was careless and put faith in people I shouldn’t have put faith in.”@RealMikeHoecht discusses his 6-Game PED Suspension: pic.twitter.com/BErcj5YuO1

— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) May 28, 2025

The 27-year-old defensive end wasn’t interested in hiding what happened. Why? Because “covering up is always worse than the crime,” Hoecht explained. “I didn’t want to play the game of secrecy and hiding it and trying to screw over a team, because wherever you end up signing, it’s important to have good relationships in the building,” he said. “Ultimately, it’s selfish and it hurts the team. When something like that happens, you can’t make it worse by trying to hide it. I made a mistake. I can’t change it. But what’s the next right thing to do?”

“I’ve been drug tested constantly throughout my NFL career and never had an issue. Everything I took was always what it was supposed to be. This came from someone I trusted, and that’s ultimately on me,” Hoecht had explained earlier. He said that about three weeks into the offseason, he received official notification from the NFL confirming a positive test for testosterone. The moment hit him hard.

“That letter was probably the lowest point of my life,” he said. “It’s a lot to process. It feels like it calls into question not just my ability as a player, but who I am as a person. Now, I’m facing an uphill climb. I have to prove myself all over again—to my teammates, my coaches, and the community. It’s a big challenge, but it’s one I’m committed to confronting head-on. I’m not going to avoid it.”

Hoecht will be eligible to return in Week 7 of the Bills’ 2025 season. Buffalo’s general manager, Brandon Beane, chose to sign him despite the suspension, impressed both by Hoecht’s production over five seasons with the Rams and the way he owned the mistake.

Brandon Beane had confidence in Michael Hoecht while pursuing a deal

The Bills signed Michael Hoecht and the veteran DT Larry Ogunjobi back in March. Soon after that, the GM announced that both the newly signed players will miss the first six games of the Bills’ 2025 campaign following a PED suspension. The team has allowed both players to participate in the team’s offseason workout program, as well as the training camp and preseason.

However, Hoecht and Larry won’t be able to enter the team’s facility during the first four weeks of the season. The team will allow both the suspended players during the final weeks of their suspension period. And if all goes well, Hoecht and Larry will be eligible to play during the 7th week of the season. The kicker?

Well, Beane knew pretty well about Hoecht’s pending suspension before signing him. “You get a three-year deal with Hoecht, knowing his situation, same thing, played, been in the league five years, I think his was earlier, and we were made aware of it. There is a thing we can get with the league, that we can find out the status. His status we knew, and we talked it through with his agents,” he explained.

Before signing a deal with the Bills, the guy spent the first five years in LA. Hoecht had 180 tackles, including 98 solo tackles, 82 assists, and 13.5 sacks over five seasons. No wonder the Bills considered his performance over his suspension before signing a deal, despite knowing the pending suspension. However, that wasn’t the case with Larry.

In fact, the veteran DT was informed after putting pen to paper with the Bills. “Larry, around the time after we agreed, he got a notice that, a PED, pending suspension. So he came into my office yesterday. We did not know it when we agreed the other night, so we had a conversation,” the GM further said. Having said that, both players are all set to miss out on a pretty good portion of the 2025 season.

The post Banned Bills Superstar Confirms Cheating in a Strong Statement; Addresses Sabotaging Josh Allen & Locker Room appeared first on EssentiallySports.