Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett passes away

Some stunning and tragic news out of the National Football League this evening, as news has broken that former New England Patriots, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Ryan Mallett has passed away. He was just 35 years old.

Mallett reportedly drowned while on vacation in Florida. He had last played in the NFL during the 2017 season with Baltimore and had most recently been coaching high school football in Arkansas, not far from where he starred on the college gridiron with the Razorbacks.

Though Mallett never played for the Minnesota Vikings, he does have a connection to the team. The Patriots took him in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. To do so, they used the pick that…