Former Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons defensive end Allen Bailey has died at the age of 37, with his death confirmed by reports citing his family.
According to TMZ, Bailey’s brother, Alford Bailey Jr., said the former NFL player’s wife found him dead at their Florida home on Tuesday. Bailey played 10 seasons in the NFL after being selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
The report was first announced by EssentiallySports.
The family believes Bailey died of natural causes, according to his brother, although an official cause of death has not been confirmed.
Bailey spent the first eight seasons of his professional career with Kansas City before joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2019. He appeared in 31 games across two seasons in Atlanta before being released in February 2021.
He did not return to the NFL after his release, effectively ending his professional career following the 2020 season. No formal retirement announcement has been confirmed.
Bailey finished his NFL career with 133 regular-season appearances, recording 22 sacks and 248 combined tackles. His best season came in 2018, when he registered a career-high six sacks for the Chiefs.
Born on March 25, 1989, on Sapelo Island, Georgia, Bailey attended McIntosh County Academy before playing college football at the University of Miami.
He earned first-team All-ACC honours in 2009 and second-team recognition in 2010. His performances at Miami helped him secure a third-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, launching a decade-long career in professional football.