Allen Bailey, a former NFL player who spent the majority of his 10-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs, has died at age 37. The former defensive end was found dead in his Florida home on Tuesday by his wife.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid shared his appreciation for Bailey on Wednesday. “Our hearts go out to his family, and our prayers are with them,” Reid said. “Way too young, obviously. He was one of my favorite players, a great kid. I’m just sorry to see that happened to him.”
Bailey’s family told TMZ that they believe he died from natural causes, although an official cause of death had not been released as of Wednesday afternoon. Bailey began his NFL career with the Chiefs in 2011 and played his first eight seasons with the team.
He produced the best season of his career in 2018, recording a career-high six sacks, 10 quarterback hits and four fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was Bailey’s teammate for two seasons, recalled his first encounter with the veteran.
“I tell this story every year: He was the first person I saw when I stepped into the locker room after the [2017] draft,” Mahomes said. “I see Allen Bailey and I’m like, ‘This isn’t the Big 12 anymore.’ It was surreal to see him.”
Mahomes added, “Obviously, it’s terrible to hear the news. A great teammate — he’s one of those glue guys on the team. He makes plays. He’s not necessarily a superstar, but the guy that kind of makes everything go. We’re praying for his family. [As] teammates, we’ve talked and we know that we’re going to do whatever we can to support those guys.”
Following the news of his death, former teammates including Chris Jones, Dwayne Bowe, Mitch Morse and Mitchell Schwartz expressed their respect and gratitude for Bailey’s personality. Bailey finished his career playing his final two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. Over 133 career games, he recorded 22 sacks, seven fumble recoveries and 40 tackles for loss.
“It’s terrible, especially with all the good he [did],” Reid said. “He’s got a family and that’s a sad deal. I know his father passed away young, too. It makes you sick when it happens to somebody that young.”
