Former NFL star Ryan Mallett has died in an apparent drowning at the age of 35.

The former quarterback was taken to hospital in Destin, Florida, but was pronounced dead.

Mallett, who played for the New England Patriots, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, had been on holiday when the incident happened.

According to police, he was part of a group of swimmers at a beach when the alarm was raised.

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said: “A group of people in the water near the second sandbar had reportedly been struggling to make their way back to shore.

“One of the individuals, an adult male, went under and lifeguards say he was not breathing when pulled out.”

Destin, which is part of Florida’s Gulf Coast, has seen a number of warnings about the sea conditions in recent days, with the US National Weather service saying swimmers should expect dangerous rip currents to develop.

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Tributes from the world of American football poured in following Mallett’s death.

A tweet from the NFL read: “The NFL family is deeply saddened by the passing of Ryan Mallett. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”

The Patriots tweeted: “The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of former quarterback Ryan Mallett.”

Baltimore paid tribute to a “tremendous person and a loyal teammate” and former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wrote on Instagram: “We lost a great man. Thank you for everything Ryan.”

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