Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane broke some tough news on Friday: two of their recent free agent signings, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and defensive end Michael Hoecht, are set to miss the first six games of the season. The suspension comes after both players violated the NFL’s rules on performance-enhancing drugs.
“It’s far from ideal having this situation, especially since both players have clean records off the field,” Beane commented. “It’s a hard lesson about the importance of being cautious with supplements or whatever caused this issue.”
Ogunjobi and Hoecht will still participate in the offseason activities and training camp. They’ll be allowed back at the team’s facilities after serving four weeks of their suspension and can play after six. Beane compared managing these suspensions to dealing with injuries occurring during training camp. He emphasized that, had the team known about their situations beforehand, they might have hesitated in signing them.
Ogunjobi’s case was particularly tricky. He was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday to clear salary cap space and discovered the positive test result around the time of finalizing his deal with the Bills. This was news to the Bills management at that point.
“I get it—understanding what we consume is crucial, and I have to own up to that,” Ogunjobi admitted on Friday. “I’m accountable. It was a mistake, purely accidental, and I’m ready to accept the consequences. Sometimes, you’re just not aware, and this is one of those instances. Honesty seemed the best approach here. The organization dealt with it brilliantly—they welcomed me openly, comprehended the situation entirely, and have been nothing but gracious and supportive.”
Beane made it clear that the Bills wouldn’t have signed the players if they had prior knowledge about Ogunjobi’s situation, but by the time they learned of it, other defensive tackles were no longer available.
Ogunjobi discussed the matter openly with Beane on Thursday, causing a brief delay in signing him until Friday. Beane mentioned that some contractual details needed sorting out due to the revelation.
“I credit Ogunjobi for bringing it up early,” Beane stated. “At this stage, even the league isn’t aware because independent testing groups handle it, and until both samples are verified—which can take up to three weeks—the NFL stays uninformed. Ogunjobi’s transparency was commendable. It’s a frustrating setback, true, but we’ve worked through it.”
Regarding Hoecht, the Bills were aware of his situation prior to signing a three-year deal with him. He discovered his positive test for “some form of testosterone” early in the offseason and had already informed interested teams about it.
Hoecht, who spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, reflected on the situation as a lesson. He developed a trusting relationship with a trainer over the years, which made him complacent in vetting substances properly. His story serves as a cautionary tale for other NFL players and young athletes.
“It was careless, a complete oversight on my part,” Hoecht confessed. “It’s a responsibility I must bear and something I intend to emerge from stronger, using it as motivation and a lesson.”
