Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane announced Friday afternoon that newly signed DE Michael Hoecht and DT Larry Ogunjobi will miss the first six games of the 2025 season due to a PED suspension.
During that suspension, both players will be prohibited from entering the team facility during the first four weeks of the regular season. They can return to the team facility for the final two weeks and are expected to be eligible to return to play in Week 7.
However, Hoecht and Ogunjobi are allowed to fully participate in the Bills' offseason workout program, along with training camp and preseason. When the Bills finalize their 53-man roster before the season, the team will have to place both players on the suspended list.
Beane shared that he was aware of Hoecht pending suspension notice prior to agreeing to sign the former Los Angeles Ram. He felt that Hoecht's explanation for what happened in addition to his prior clean track record of five years in the NFL gave him confidence in pursuing the deal.
"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," Beane explained.
That was not the case with Ogunjobi as the former Steelers DT was notified after he and the Bills had reached a verbal agreement.
"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," Beane said.
Beane credited Ogunjobi, who the Steelers nominated as their Walter Payton Man of the Year, for being upfront with Buffalo as soon as he received PED notice.
"I give him credit, because it's early in the process. The league doesn't even know about it, the way it's done by an independent group. He was very forthright. Larry, he was Pittsburgh's Man of the Year, like, he's a good man. He's never, he's played eight years in the league, and never had a blip. That's obviously frustrating for him and a little bit of a setback for us. But we've talked it through," Beane said.
Hoecht shared that he believes his suspension is due to unknowingly ingesting a banned substance that he received from his trainer that he's worked with the last several seasons.
"He's the guy that I have purchased, protein, creatine, IVs, multivitamins, all the stuff that athletes normally take," Hoecht said. "I had everything verified by an independent nurse, that everything was what it said it was. And built up a relationship with somebody that I thought I could trust."
Hoecht lamented that as time went on he "stopped being vigilant" in verifying every supplement he took from the trainer was an accepted substance.
"You get drug tested all the time in the NFL, never had any issues. Everything was what it said it was. So this is somebody that I thought I could trust, and that's where this ultimately becomes my responsibility," Hoecht said.
Hoecht said three weeks into the offseason he received a letter from the NFL notifying him that he tested positive for testosterone. He shared that he takes that matter personally and that it is his responsibility to earn the trust of his new team.
"As exciting as today has been, that I think was the lowest point of my entire life is receiving that letter. You go through a whole range of emotions when that happens because. You feel like it discredits who you are as a player and discredits who you are as a person," he said. "I'm now fighting an uphill battle. And to win the admiration, the respect of not only the players in the locker room and the coaches and the community, you know, I've got a lot of work to do, but it's never something I'm going to shy away from."
For Ogunjobi, he still isn't sure what caused him to test positive for PEDs and is still in the information gathering process.
"It was a situation where I don't really know what it was. But I think it was a tainted supplement that I took. But I understand the league, we have an obligation to understand what we put in our body, and I take full responsibility for that," he said.
He expressed his gratitude for how his situation was handled by the Bills.
"We found out kind of around the same time and they handled it masterfully and I'm very appreciative," he said.
Ogunjobi believes this signing is an opportunity for growth in both his personal and professional life.
"Everything happens for a reason and everything's working together for my good. So I feel like just being upfront about it and letting God figure it out for me. And He did. I'm here in front of you guys. I'm part of an amazing team. I'm part of an amazing organization that I want to impact in an amazing way," Ogunjobi said.
Beane offered an explanation as to why he decided to sign both players.
"It's not ideal to have two guys with that, but both guys have never had any issues off the field. It's a tough lesson of where do you get your supplements or whatever happened," he said. "We'll embrace those guys and if they were guys that this had happened before, we probably would have avoided them."
Scroll to see photos of Joey Bosa, Darrick Forrest, Joshua Palmer, Darrynton Evans, Michael Hoecht, Larry Ogunjobi and as they arrive at 1 Bills Drive to sign during Free Agency.
Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Sean McDermott, Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Brandon Beane, Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Brandon Beane, Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrick Forrest, Maddy Glab. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrynton Evans. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Darrick Forrest. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Brandon Beane, Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Joey Bosa. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 13, 2025 at the Buffalo Bills Training Center.
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Michael Hoecht. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Larry Ogunjobi. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
Laviska Shenault Jr.. Buffalo Bills free agent signing, March 14, 2025 at One Bills Drive
