Former Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett reportedly dead at 35 due to drowning accident
Mallett played in New England for three seasons after getting selected in the third round of the 2011 Draft.
Former Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett passed away on Tuesday in a drowning accident, according to multiple reports. He was 35 years old.
Deltaplex News first reported that Mallett was transported from a Florida beach to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The superintendent at White Hall High School, where Mallett served as head football coach, confirmed to Alyssa Orange of KNWA FOX24 that Mallett drowned on Tuesday.
Mallett was selected by the Patriots in the third round (74th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Arkansas. The former Razorback was the highest quarterback taken by New England in the draft since taking Drew Bledsoe first overall in the 1993 Draft.
Mallett played in New England for three seasons, serving as Tom Brady’s primary backup during the 2012-13 campaign before being traded to the Houston Texans in August 2014.
The 6-foot-6 quarterback, lauded for his arm strength, played in the NFL from 2011-17 with the Patriots, Texans and Ravens. He appeared in 21 career NFL games and started eight of them, throwing for 1,835 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The Patriots released a statement following Mallett’s reported passing on Tuesday.
“The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of former quarterback Ryan Mallett,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with the Mallett family, his former teammates and all who are mourning his loss.”
Bill Belichick, in his own statement, said: “I am extremely saddened by Ryan’s tragic passing. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and the many people whose lives he touched.”
A few of Mallett’s former teammates in New England, including Julian Edelman, James White, and Brandon Bolden, took to social media to pay their respects.
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