Allen Bailey, former Chiefs defensive lineman, dies at 37, brother tells TMZ
Bailey’s brother told TMZ that his wife found him dead at their Florida home. Former college teammate Colin McCarthy also announced his passing, according to EssentiallySports.
Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Allen Bailey has died at 37, his brother told TMZ after Bailey’s wife found him dead at their Florida home on October 20. Former college teammate Colin McCarthy also announced his passing, according to EssentiallySports. Bailey played 10 NFL seasons, eight of them with Kansas City.
Bailey’s brother, Alford Bailey Jr., told TMZ that Bailey’s wife found him inside their home. TMZ reported that the family believes he died of natural causes; a cause of death has not been established.
McCarthy, a former NFL linebacker who played alongside Bailey at the University of Miami, wrote on X that he had lost a ‘fellow brother’ and sent prayers to Bailey’s family, EssentiallySports reported. McCarthy’s announcement provides a separate account of Bailey’s death from the family account given to TMZ.
Andy Reid remembers Bailey’s years with the Chiefs
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid acknowledged Bailey’s death to reporters on October 21. ‘One of my favorite players. A great kid. I’m sorry to see that happen,’ Reid said, according to Yahoo Sports. Reid coached Bailey from 2013 through 2018.
Kansas City selected Bailey in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft after his college career at Miami. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2009 and second-team honors in 2010, Yahoo Sports reported. Bailey went on to start 61 games during his eight seasons with the Chiefs.
One of Bailey’s most visible Chiefs plays came against the Los Angeles Rams in 2018. With Kansas City trailing by three points in the fourth quarter, he recovered a Jared Goff fumble and returned it for a touchdown that put the Chiefs ahead. The Rams eventually won the game 54-51, Yahoo Sports reported.
Bailey joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2019 and spent two seasons there before his release in 2021. Across 133 regular-season NFL games, he recorded 248 combined tackles and 22 sacks, according to TMZ. The Atlanta stint followed eight seasons in Kansas City, where Yahoo Sports says he also forced four fumbles and scored one defensive touchdown.
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Sources and context
- Former Chiefs lineman Allen Bailey reportedly dies at 37Yahoo Sports; article by Chris Cwik, with the death first reported by TMZ
- Former NFL Defense Allen Bailey Dead at 37TMZ
- Ex-Chiefs DE Allen Bailey Passes Away at 37, Confirms Former NFL LB & TeammateEssentiallySports
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.