Former Chiefs Defensive End Allen Bailey Dies at 37, Family Believes Natural Causes

Allen Bailey, the defensive end who played eight seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs, died Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 37.

His wife found him dead at their Florida home, his brother, Alford Bailey Jr., told TMZ. The family believes he died of natural causes. As of Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 21, no official cause of death had been released.

Tributes from the Chiefs

The Chiefs called Bailey "an excellent teammate, generous man, and kind soul" in a statement. The Falcons, his final team, posted their condolences as well.

Head coach Andy Reid opened his Wednesday news conference with a message for the family. "Way too young, obviously. One of my favorite players. Great kid. Just sorry to see that happen to him," Reid said.

Reid also noted that Bailey's father died young. "It makes you sick when it happens to somebody that young," he said.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who shared a locker room with Bailey for two seasons after the Chiefs drafted him in 2017, described a first meeting he says he retells every year. "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," Mahomes said.

Mahomes called Bailey "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." He added that teammates will "do whatever we can to support" the family.

Former Chiefs lineman Jeff Allen wrote on X: "Lost a teammate, a friend, a brother." Colin McCarthy, a former Miami teammate, called Bailey "Big Cuzzo."

The NFL career

Kansas City took Bailey in the third round of the 2011 draft out of the University of Miami. He played 50 games for the Hurricanes from 2007 to 2010 and was a two-time All-ACC selection.

He was a backup early in his pro career. By 2014 he had become a starter, with five sacks in 12 starts, and he signed a four-year, $25 million extension midway through that season.

He played for Kansas City through 2018. In a 54-51 loss to the Rams on Nov. 19, 2018, he scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery, one of seven fumble recoveries in his career.

Atlanta signed him to a two-year, $10.5 million deal in 2019. The Falcons gave him a one-year, $4.5 million extension in March 2020, then released him in 2021 to save that same $4.5 million. He never played in the NFL again.

The career totals:

• 133 regular-season games, 70 starts
• 248 tackles
• 22 sacks
• 40 tackles for loss and 40 quarterback hits
• Four forced fumbles
• Six playoff games, with two sacks and two forced fumbles

His size earned him the nickname "Hulk." Dee Ford told the Kansas City Star in 2014: "Looks like the Hulk. Plays like the Hulk. He's a complete player, man."

Off the field, teammates described someone different. "He's kind of a gentle giant," former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said on the team's website. "You know not to mess with him, but at the same time, he's very approachable."

From Sapelo Island

Bailey was born March 25, 1989, on Sapelo Island, Georgia, a barrier island reachable only by boat, with fewer than 70 residents. He grew up in Hog Hammock, about a 20-minute ferry ride from the mainland.

"It's relatively quiet; no stop signs, no traffic lights. It's mostly dirt roads," he told Distraction magazine in 2018.

He told Star columnist Vahe Gregorian in 2013 that kids on the island "couldn't go too far because you could get lost." He didn't start organized football until seventh grade. He then became a standout at McIntosh County Academy, which led to Miami.

Work after football

While still with the Chiefs, Bailey founded the Allen Bailey Foundation. The nonprofit supports student-athletes and families in Georgia.

It launched McIntosh County's first free youth football camp, which gave hundreds of student-athletes the chance to train with NFL players. It also runs turkey drives, toy drives and backpack giveaways.

The foundation described its mission as providing "football camps, community events, and digital resources tailored to foster talent and promote academic readiness."

No medical examiner finding has been made public. The family's belief that he died of natural causes comes from his brother, and an official determination has yet to be released.