A solid blocker,[17] Sievers was an integral part of Air Coryell, San Diego head coach Don Coryell's wide-open passing attack with quarterback Dan Fouts.[18][19] His best receiving years with the Chargers were in 1984 and 1985, when he posted identical seasons of 41 catches for 438 yards.[17] In 1984, Sievers, Holohan, and Winslow contributed to the Chargers' 164 receptions by the tight end position, setting an NFL single-season record for tight ends on a team.[a][22][23] Sievers began the 1985 season with 30 receptions and five touchdowns in the first seven games, but had just 11 catches for one score in the final nine games after Winslow returned from his injury coupled with the offense's shift to get Lionel James and Gary Anderson more involved.[3][24]
After catching 149 passes through his first five seasons, Sievers was limited by injuries and minimal playing time and had just three catches over the next three seasons.[25][26] He played in only nine games and caught just two passes in 1986 while hampered by a compression fracture in his leg and underwent surgery in the offseason.[27] In 1988, he was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury.[26] According to Sievers, his injury was not severe enough to warrant the move. "It gave them an opening to bring in the people they really wanted to have", he said.[28] San Diego tried to activate him by passing him through waivers, but he was claimed by the Los Angeles Rams.[26] He had been the second-longest tenured player on the Chargers roster behind Don Macek.[28] He played one regular-season and one playoff game at the end of the Rams' season before becoming a Plan B free agent.[17]
Sievers signed with the New England Patriots in 1989. Although Lin Dawson started at tight end, Sievers led all AFC tight ends that year with 54 receptions for 615 yards, both career highs.[1][17][29] In 1990, he injured his knee on November 4 against Philadelphia, and spent the remainder of the year on injured reserve. Sievers ended the season with eight catches for 77 yards in eight games with one start.[29] He signed with the Miami Dolphins as a Plan B free agent in 1991, but was waived during preseason.[30]
After a six-year battle with bladder cancer, Sievers died on April 10, 2024, at the age of 66.[19][32]
Notes
^Holohan (56 catches), Winslow (55) and Sievers (41) combined for 152 receptions.[20]Ron Egloff had 11,[20] and Drew Gissinger, normally a tackle, had 1 playing tight end.[20][21] The Associated Press wrote in 2005 that the 1984 Chargers' tight ends had 163 catches.[22]
^Lockwood, Wayne (September 9, 1981). "Chargers Show Draws Varied 'Reviews'". The San Diego Union. p. C-2. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via NewsBank. Pick 4B Eric Sievers started and played the entire game at tight end. Real tight end, that is, not the wingback position of Kellen Winslow.
^ abcWeinberg, Dan. "One of the greatest". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
^Maffei, John (November 12, 1984). "Receptions record within Joiner's grasp". Times-Advocate. p. C3. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. The injuries forced Drew Gissinger — normally a tackle — to play tight end for the second week in a row, and this week had a catch for three yards.
^ abWalker, Teresa M. (December 24, 2005). "Titans' tight ends catch on". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Associated Press. p. D4. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Judge, Clark (September 3, 1985). "Facelift for Chargers". Evening Tribune. p. Football-4. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via NewsBank. In all, 164 passes for 1,930 yards and six touchdown were caught by the tight end position.
