Mallett was swimming at a Destin, Florida beach when the incident occurred.
Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett has died following an accidental drowning in Florida. He was 35.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office confirmed Mallet's death Tuesday in a statement shared to Facebook.
Per the OCSO, first responders were called to the beach behind 775 Gulf Shore Drive in Destin around 2:00 p.m., when they discovered a group of people in the water near the second sandbar who had reportedly been struggling to make their way back to shore.
One of the individuals, an adult male, who was later identified as Mallett, went under and lifeguards say he was not breathing when pulled out. Lifesaving measures were immediately taken, and Mallett was transported to a nearby hospital where he was ultimately pronounced dead.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office is investigating the apparent drowning.
Mallett played at the collegiate level from 2007 until 2010 for the Michigan Wolverines and Arkansas Razorbacks. He was the offensive MVP of the Liberty Bowl in 2010 and was named All-SEC second team in 2009 and 2010, finishing seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting that same year.
A third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Mallett was chosen as the 74th-overall pick to the New England Patriots in 2011, serving as a backup to Tom Brady for three seasons.
He was traded to the Houston Texans in 2014 and remained there for two seasons before being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Mallett played two more seasons with the Ravens before retiring from the league in 2017.
After ending his career with the NFL, Mallett took up coaching, joining White Hall High School's coaching staff in his home state of Arkansas.
White Hall High School shared a statement regarding Mallett's death in a statement on their school website Tuesday, writing, "It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett."
The statement continued, "Coach Mallett was a beloved coach and educator. We ask that you remember his family, team, students, fellow coaches, and the White Hall School District staff in your prayers."
Mallett's former teammate, JJ Watt also reacted to the news, tweeting, "Horrible news to read about Ryan Mallett. Gone way too soon. Rest in Peace brother."
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