Former Kansas City Chiefs Starter Has Died

Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Allen Bailey has died at the age of 37.

According to multiple reports, his wife found him dead inside their Florida home on Tuesday, October 20.

His brother, Alford Bailey Jr., told TMZ that the family believes he died of natural causes, though no official cause of death has been announced.

Bailey spent the bulk of his 10-year NFL career with the Chiefs after being selected in the third round (86th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami.

He played for Kansas City from 2011 to 2018 before finishing his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2019 and 2020. Across 133 regular-season games, he recorded 248 combined tackles and 22 sacks.

Bailey started most of his time with the Chiefs, starting 70 contests.

His strongest season came in 2018, when he tallied a career-high six sacks for the Chiefs. Teammates nicknamed the 6-foot-3, 288-pound lineman “Hulk.”

A native of Sapelo Island, Georgia, Bailey starred at McIntosh County Academy before becoming a two-time All-ACC selection at Miami.

In 2014, the Chiefs rewarded his development with a four-year, $25 million contract extension.

eyond the field, he founded the Allen Bailey Foundation, which supports student-athletes and families in his home region through free football camps, scholarships, backpack drives, and community events.

News of Bailey’s death prompted tributes from former teammates.

University of Miami teammate and former NFL linebacker Colin McCarthy wrote on social media, “Lost a fellow brother today… prayers to AB family! Love you Big Cuzzo!” Former Chiefs offensive lineman Jeff Allen posted, “Lost a teammate, a friend, a brother. God needed another angel. Rest easy, my brother.”

Bailey’s death marks a sudden loss for the Chiefs community and the broader NFL.

He is survived by his wife and family.