Tom Brady Posts About Death Of Ex-Patriots QB Ryan Mallett

The Patriots and the NFL lost a member of their community Tuesday when Ryan Mallett died in an apparent drowning accident in Florida. He was 35 years old.

Mallett, a product of Michigan and Arkansas, reached the professional ranks in 2011 when he was drafted in the third round (74th overall) by New England. The 6-foot-6 signal-caller was brought in to back up Tom Brady, who shared a Patriots quarterback room with Mallett for three seasons.

Not long after the news of Mallett's death broke, Brady took to Instagram and mourned the loss of his former teammate.

"We lost a great man," Brady wrote in an Instagram story, which featured a photo of him and Mallett on the practice field. "Thank you for everything Ryan. Praying for the Mallett family and all their loved ones tonight."

Brady wasn't the only former Patriots player who used social media to pay tribute to Mallett. Julian Edelman, James White and Brandon Bolden were among those who posted about the Arkansas native, who had stints with the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens after his Patriots tenure came to an end in 2013.

Also paying respects to Mallett was New England head coach Bill Belichick, who was "extremely saddened" by the former quarterback's death.