Well, I guess it’s already time to tone down the celebrations. Bills Mafia, who has been largely happy with the free agency signings made by general manager Brandon Beane, isn’t going to be too happy with this one.
Apparently, new defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi will both be out of the first six games of the 2025 NFL season for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.
Strange situation:
Brandon Beane says Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht have BOTH failed PED tests…
Both will be suspended for the first 6 games of the #Bills season.
— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) March 14, 2025
To make the situation weirder, according to Ari Meirov, the Buffalo Bills knew about the suspension for Hoecth, but not for Ogunjobi, before signing them. Apparently Beane would not have signed both if they had known, but will now focus on adjusting and moving forward.
A six-game suspension is nothing small. It’s a third of the season. For a Buffalo Bills roster that was focused on overhauling the defensive line, immediately losing two of their new signings for the first third of the season isn’t exactly welcome news. Buffalo now has some pivoting to do.
The two have not yet officially signed as of yet, but speaking with the media, Beane made it clear they still intend to sign both players. For Ogunjobi, the timing of the positive test result apparently came about when the defensive tackle market had already dried up. Apparently the Bills felt there wasn’t a clear way for them to pivot.
How this impacts the plans for the Bills heading into a new season remains to be seen. Perhaps it means that Buffalo will once again be viewed as having more of an importance on defensive line as the team heads towards the 2025 NFL Draft. Regardless of how Beane aims to address it, the team will need more bodies along the defensive line.
Follow along all year for more Buffalo Bills coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, and make sure to follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.