Buffalo, NY – November 2, 2025
What was shaping up to be a statement win for the Buffalo Bills quickly turned bittersweet. During Sunday’s 28–21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs
, defensive tackle Michael Hoecht — the team’s $21 million free-agent signing — went down with a brutal lower-leg injury that is feared to be a torn Achilles.
The incident occurred late in the second half as Hoecht tried to shed a block on a run play. He immediately collapsed, clutching his leg, and was unable to put any weight on it. According to
CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, the injury “looked bad from the start,” with early indications pointing toward a season-ending Achilles tear.
Here’s a much better angle of the #Bills
Michael Hoecht Achilles injury.Pretty classic mechanism, can see the right calf ripple after the first step. pic.twitter.com/iDsEolR7Jv
— Banged Up Bills (@BangedUpBills) November 3, 2025
Despite being urged to head to the locker room, Hoecht refused. Instead, he
stayed on the sideline with his teammates, resting his leg on the bench, visibly emotional but determined to finish the game beside them.
It’s a heartbreaking turn for a player who had just started to make his mark in Buffalo. Hoecht made his
season debut in Week 8 against the Panthers after serving a six-game PED suspension, posting 1.5 sacks in his return and adding half a sack against Kansas City before going down.
The 28-year-old lineman, who signed with the Bills on a three-year, $21 million deal this past offseason, had been emerging as a powerful rotational presence on the defensive front. Losing him now delivers a significant blow to a Bills team already thin on interior defensive depth.
“He’s worked his way back, fought through adversity, and was just starting to show what he could do for us,” one teammate said postgame. “It hurts to see a guy like that go down.”
Hoecht’s journey has always been one of perseverance — from undrafted free agent out of Brown University to Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, to earning his first major contract in Buffalo. Now, his promising season ends far too soon.
Season Ends Too Soon — but the heart he showed won’t be forgotten in Buffalo.
Texans QB CJ Stroud Knocked Out Cold By Dirty Hit During Frightening Scene vs. Broncos [VIDEO]
CJ Stroud is down and out.
During the second-quarter game against the Denver Broncos, the Houston Texans’ quarterback attempted to gain a first down by running, but it did not work out in his favor.
Stroud, who had problems with the team regarding the offense, got smacked by a Broncos defender as his head bounced off the turf.
Stroud would remain on the ground for minutes before he eventually got up and walked to the sidelines. As he was heading to the blue medical tent, he gave a thumbs up to the crowd to signal that he was ok.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 2, 2025
After being taken to the blue medical tent, he would walk to the locker room for further evaluation.
Before his injury, CJ Stroud had thrown for 79 yards with zero touchdowns and interceptions. The Houston Texans look for their second consecutive win as they host the Denver Broncos in a game that’s pivotal to their playoff hopes.
Davis Mills is now in for Stroud after taking the big shot. The starting quarterback will now be evaluated for a concussion following the hit.
The team has been playing much better lately, and losing Stroud would drastically stop any hope of making a run for the playoffs.
