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Coming out of college, Parker was labeled as injury-prone and thus was passed over in the draft. He was originally invited to the Houston Texans training camp as an undrafted free agent, but was released by the Texans[1] and considered a life without football. Shortly after this, the Chargers invited him to their camp. He spent some time on the practice squad and eventually made the team in late 2002.

Parker had a productive campaign in 2003 before a shoulder injury cut his season short. His best season was in 2005 when he caught 57 passes for 725 yards. During the 2006 offseason, the Chargers signed Parker to a new five year deal.

Parker does not typically post big numbers, but many of his catches are for key first downs and he is praised by his teammates for his route-running abilities. He is often referred to by fans as "Mr. Clutch." Parker also handles punt return duties for the Chargers.

In 2006, Parker and then #1 wide receiver Keenan McCardell both ended the season with zero touchdown catches. It was one of the few times in the history of the NFL that a starting WR duo had no touchdowns. Teammates LaDainian Tomlinson, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Vincent Jackson accounted for the majority of the Chargers' scores.

Eric's 2006 season came to a disappointing end in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. In a game the Chargers lost to the New England Patriots by three points, Parker dropped two passes and fumbled a crucial third-quarter punt, which led to 3 points for the opposing team.


In 2007, Eric Parker injured his toe during training camp. This led to the Chargers Putting him on injured reserve, and him missing the entire 2007 season.