Eric Saubert

BIOGRAPHY

Eric Saubert was born on May 1, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois. He is a tight end in the National Football League.

He studied at the University of Drake and is a tight end for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. In his early years, Saubert attended Hoffman Estates where he was selected to the Mid-Suburban League all-conference team and the Daily Herald all-area team as a senior and was Chicago Sun-Times Top-5 player in the MSL. He was a two-time letter winner in basketball and earned a spot on the A-Honor Roll as well as an Outstanding Service Award from Hoffman Estates High School.

After he finished high school, Saubert committed to the University of Drake, where as a freshman, he was named first-team All-PFL, was second on the team in receiving with 47 catches for 549 yards and two touchdowns and averaged 49.9 yards receiving per game. As a sophomore in 2014, he played in eight games, making seven starts, earned honorable mention All-PFL honors and totaled 32 receptions for 348 yards and two touchdowns. As a junior in 2015, Saubert was named to FCS ADA All-America team, was an AP FCS All-America third-team selection and was a third-team honoree for the STATS FCS All-America team. He earned the All-PFL first-team honors, led the team with 48 receptions and tallied 506 receiving yards and six touchdowns. In his senior year in 2016, Saubert earned his fourth All-PFL accolade of his career after being named first-team PFL, ranked 19th in the nation 10 receiving touchdowns and was second among tight ends with 70.5 receiving yards per game. He also recorded 56 receptions for 776 receiving yards and totaled 131 yards and two touchdowns, including a 73-yard reception. 

After he graduated college, On December 5, 2016, it was announced that Saubert had accepted an invitation to play in the 2017 East-West Shrine Game. He impressed scouts and analysts throughout practices for the Shrine Game, displaying his athleticism, receiving ability, and received praises from multiple media members, including NFL analyst Mike Mayock and on January 21, 2017, Saubert played in the East-West Shrine Game and was part of an East team that lost 10–3 to the West. On January 26, 2017, it was announced that Saubert would be a late addition to play in the 2017 Senior Bowl. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Saubert was projected to be a fifth or sixth-round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the 12th best tight end prospect in the draft by CBS Sports and was ranked the 13th best tight end by NFLDraftScout.com. Saubert entered the 2016 NFL Draft where he selected in the fifth round by the Atlanta Falcons. On May 11, 2017, the Atlanta Falcons signed Saubert to a four-year contract. He made his professional regular-season debut in the Atlanta Falcons season-opening 23-17 victory at the Chicago Bears. He played in 14 games his rookie year but did not record any statistics.

On August 12, 2019, Saubert was traded to the New England Patriots for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was released during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019. Saubert signed with the Oakland Raiders practice squad on September 1, 2019.

On November 30, 2019, Saubert was signed by the Chicago Bears off the Raiders practice squad. He caught two passes for 21 yards during the 2019 season. Saubert was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Bears on July 29, 2020, and activated from the list five days later. He was waived by the team on September 16, 2020.

On September 19, 2020, Saubert was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster on October 24 for the team's Week 7 game against the Los Angeles Chargers and reverted to the practice squad after the game. He was signed to the active roster on November 21, 2020.

Saubert signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2023.