Former Chiefs and Falcons defensive lineman Allen Bailey passed away this week at the age of 37. His family’s initial belief is that he died of natural causes, though an official cause of death has not been released.
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“Allen Bailey was an excellent teammate, generous man, and kind soul,”* the Chiefs said in a statement. “We’re deeply saddened to hear of his passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.” The Falcons also released a statement mourning Bailey’s death and sending their “deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
Several of Bailey’s former teammates and coaches also shared tributes on social media. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes recalled meeting Bailey as his first NFL teammate after being drafted in 2017 and described him as “one of those glue guys on the team.” Andy Reid, Bailey’s head coach in Kansas City from 2013 to 2018, called Bailey “one of my favorite players” and “a great kid.”
“Our hearts go out to his family, and our prayers are with them,” Reid said on Wednesday (via ESPN’s Nate Taylor). “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 played college football at Miami and racked up 19 sacks and 31 tackles for loss over his final three seasons. He earned All-ACC honors in his final two seasons as a Hurricane before being drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2011 draft. Bailey was a relatively quiet rotational contributor in his first three NFL seasons before stepping into a starting role in 2014. He signed a four-year, $25MM extension midway through the year and finished with five sacks and 10 tackles for loss, both career-highs.
Bailey maintained a starting role in Kansas City through 2018 and set a new career-high with six sacks in his final year. That season also featured his most memorable play as a Chief: a scoop-and-score that helped beat the Rams in a 54-51 November classic that still stands as one of the best games of the last decade.
Bailey signed a two-year, $10.5MM deal with the Falcons in 2019 and appeared in 15 games (five starts) in his debut season in Atlanta, earning a one-year, $4.5MM extension. He posted similar numbers in 2020 but was released the following offseason. He finished his career with 248 tackles, 40 TFLs, and 22.0 sacks in 133 games (70 starts).
We at PFR send our condolences to Bailey’s family and friends.