Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett went public with a romance just weeks before he tragically died in a drowning accident in Florida.

Mallett, a third-round draft pick of the Patriots in 2011, drowned while on vacation in Destin, Fla. with his girlfriend, Madison Carter, KNWA Fox24 reported on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old Mallett confirmed his relationship with Carter, who works in the medical field, in a Facebook post on June 1, 2023.

In a separate post, Mallett also shared a photo of the couple smiling with the caption: “Appreciation post for my DR/driver/nurse Madison Carter.”

Both Mallett and Carter’s Instagram pages appear to be private.

On Tuesday, the White Hall School District in Arkansas, where Mallett worked as the head football coach, confirmed his death in a post on their Facebook page. 

“It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett. Coach Mallett was a beloved coach and educator,” the post read.

“We ask that you remember his family, team, students, fellow coaches, and the White Hall School District staff in your prayers.”

Mallett was transported from a beach to a hospital, and pronounced dead on arrival, the Arkansas-based website Deltaplex News reported.

“A group of people in the water near the second sandbar had reportedly been struggling to make their way back to shore,” the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday, per The Sun.

“One of the individuals, an adult male, went under, and lifeguards say he was not breathing when pulled out. Lifesaving measures were immediately undertaken, but the man was pronounced deceased at the Destin Emergency Room.”

Mallett was previously married to Tiffany Seeley, who works as an OnlyFans model under the alias, “Tiffany Uncensored,” according to OutKick.

Mallett and Seeley reportedly went through a messy divorce — which included prenup drama and a court dispute over their dogs — after they lived as a married couple for just four months from June to October 2020.

Mallett played one season at Michigan before a standout career at Arkansas from 2008-10, in back-to-back 30-touchdown seasons.

He was selected by the Patriots in the third round (74th overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft — and was a backup to Tom Brady before New England traded him to the Houston Texans in 2014. 

Mallett served as backup in Houston from 2014-15, and finished his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens in 2015-17.

Mallett’s former teammates and coaches shared public condolences after the news broke.

“We lost a great man,” Brady wrote on his Instagram Story, including a photo of the pair at practice. “Thank you for everything Ryan.

“Praying for the Mallett family and all their loved ones tonight.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement released by the team, “I am extremely saddened by Ryan’s tragic passing. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and the many people whose lives he touched.”