The football world continued to mourn the death of former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett, and future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady paid his respects on social media. 

Mallett, a third-round draft pick of the Patriots in 2011, died Tuesday in a drowning accident around Destin, Fla, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a statement.

He was found on a beach in the Gulf of Mexico, where he was not breathing, and then taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival. 

Deltaplex News, an Arkansas-based website, first reported the news.

Mallett, 35, spent his first three NFL seasons playing for the Patriots behind Brady.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, honored his former teammate, as did other members of the football community.

“We lost a great man. Thank you for everything Ryan,” Brady wrote in an Instagram story that included a photo of the two of them at Patriots practice.

“Praying for the Mallett family and all their loved ones tonight,” Brady added in the post.

After Mallett spent three years with the Patriots, he bounced around the NFL with stops in Baltimore and Texas before his came to a close in 2017. 

Mallett started to coach high school football after his playing days ended, and in 2022, Mallett was named coach at White Hall High School. 

“It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett,” the school announced in a statement. “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 had told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette after he was hired by White Hall that he always knew he’d become a coach. 

“It’s just natural for me. I understand it. I get how everything works, and then I just love football. You get to teach kids the right way at a young age, and that’s something I really enjoy,” he said.