Allen Bailey, who spent a decade in the NFL as a defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons, died Tuesday at his home in Florida. He was 37.
Bailey’s brother, Alford Bailey Jr., told TMZ that Bailey’s wife discovered him dead at the family’s Florida home. The family believes he died of natural causes, according to TMZ, though no official cause of death has been released.
The Chiefs, who drafted Bailey in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Miami, released a statement honoring him: “Allen Bailey was an excellent teammate, generous man, and kind soul. We’re deeply saddened to hear of his passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Bailey spent the first eight seasons of his career in Kansas City before signing a two-year, $10.5 million deal with the Falcons in 2019. Atlanta extended him for one year and $4.5 million in March 2020, then released him in 2021 to clear cap space. He never played in the league again.
Over 10 NFL seasons, Bailey appeared in 133 games with 70 starts, recording 248 tackles and 22 sacks. He stood 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighed 288 pounds.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who called Bailey one of his favorite players, addressed reporters Wednesday.
“Sad news, the passing of Allen Bailey. Our hearts go out to his family, prayers are with them. Way too young, obviously, one of my favorite players. Great kid, just sorry to see that happen to him,” Reid said.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also spoke about Bailey, sharing a story he said he tells every year about meeting the defensive end in the locker room.
“I tell this story kind of like every year, with [the quarterbacks], he was the first person I saw when I stepped into the locker room, I think it was after one of the drafts, they were in OTAs. I stepped in the locker room to see Allen Bailey and I’m like this isn’t the Big 12 anymore. It was surreal to see him. I tell that story every single year,” Mahomes said.
Mahomes added that Bailey’s death came as a shock to the team.
“Obviously, it’s terrible to hear the news that we heard. A great teammate, you see him, he’s one of the glue guys on the team. He makes plays, not necessarily the superstar but kind of the guy who makes everything go. It was terrible to hear that news later last night and we’re praying for his family, and know that as teammates we talked, and we’re going to do whatever we can to support those guys.”
