Former Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons defensive end Allen Bailey died Tuesday at age 37.
Bailey’s brother, Alford Bailey Jr., told TMZ that Bailey’s wife found him dead Tuesday at their Florida home. Bailey’s family believes he died of natural causes, according to TMZ. No official cause of death has been released.
“Allen Bailey was a great teammate, a generous man and a kind soul. We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends,” the Chiefs said in a statement.
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Allen Bailey gave a pass to teammate Dustin Colquitt in the final minute of the Chiefs’ 30-13 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium on October 7, 2018, in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Bailey played in the NFL for 10 seasons. The Chiefs drafted him in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Miami.
Bailey spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Chiefs before signing a two-year, $10.5 million contract with the Falcons in 2019. In March 2020, the Falcons gave Bailey a one-year, $4.5 million contract extension, but released him in 2021 to save $4.5 million. He never played in the NFL again.
In 10 seasons, Bailey played in 133 games (including 70 starts), recording 248 tackles and 22 sacks. Chiefs coach Andy Reid called him one of his favorite players.
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Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Allen Bailey scores a touchdown during an NFL game between the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams on November 19, 2018, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. (Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“Sad news, the passing of Allen Bailey. Our thoughts are with his family, our prayers are with them. Way too young, obviously, one of my favorite players. Great kid, I’m just sorry to see this happen to him,” Reid told reporters Wednesday.
Bailey was 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 288 pounds. Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes recalled a humorous story about Bailey while speaking to reporters Wednesday.
“I tell this story kind of like every year, with (the quarterbacks), he was the first person I saw when I walked into the locker room, I think it was after one of the drafts, they were in OTAs. I walked into the locker room to see Allen Bailey and I feel like it’s not the Big 12 anymore. It was surreal to see him. I tell that story every year,” Mahomes told reporters Wednesday.
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Allen Bailey #93 of the Atlanta Falcons scans the field during an NFL game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 29, 2020. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
“Obviously, it’s terrible to hear the news that we heard. He’s a great teammate, you see, he’s one of the guys that sticks with the team. He makes plays, not necessarily the superstar but the kind of guy that makes everything happen. It was terrible to hear that news later last night and we pray for his family, and know that as teammates, we’ve spoken, and we’re going to do everything we can to support these guys. “
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