KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The death of former Chiefs defensive lineman Allen Bailey on Tuesday left an indelible mark on the former teammates and club employees who grew to know him during his eight seasons with the team. Bailey was 37.
“Our hearts go out to his family; prayers are with them,” Coach Andy Reid said. “And way too young, obviously. One of my favorite players. Great, great kid. Just sorry to see that happened to him.”
Bailey was found dead Tuesday by his wife at their home in Florida. The cause of death is reportedly natural causes.
Reid wasn’t alone in his grief, as current and former members of the team expressed their fond memories of Bailey.
“To God we belong and to Him is our return,” former Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah posted on social media. “Great teammate. Even greater person. Sad news on Allen Bailey. Love you brotha.”
“Lost a teammate, a friend, a brother,” posted former offensive lineman Jeff Allen. “God needed another angel. Rest easy, my brother.”
The Chiefs selected Bailey in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the No. 86th overall choice. He arrived in Kansas City via the University of Miami (Florida), where he tallied 31 tackles for a loss and 19 sacks in four seasons. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2009 and a second-team nod in 2010.
Bailey spent eight of his 10 NFL seasons in Kansas City, notably playing for three general managers and three coaches. Through general managers Scott Pioli, John Dorsey and Brett Veach as well as head coaches Todd Haley, Romeo Crennel and Andy Reid, Bailey proved a mainstay, playing 102 games with 61 starts for the Chiefs. In 2014, he signed a four-year, 25 million extension with Kansas City.
Bailley totaled 248 combined tackles in his career along with 22 sacks. He posted a career high six sacks in 2018, his eighth and final campaign in Kansas City, at age 29. He entered free agency in 2019, signing a two-year, $10.5 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons, where he spent the final two seasons of his NFL career.
Patrick Mahomes was drafted in 2017, Bailey’s seventh and penultimate season in Kansas City. He shared a story he said he tells his fellow quarterbacks every year.
“He was the first person I saw when I stepped into the locker room,” Mahomes said. “Like they were in OTAs, and I step in the locker room to see Allen Bailey, and I’m like, “This isn’t the Big 12 anymore. Like it was, it was, it was, it was surreal to see him, and so I tell that every that story every single year. So obviously, it’s terrible to hear the news that we heard.
“He’s one of those glue guys on the team. You know, like, he makes plays, but (he’s) not necessarily the superstar, but the guy that kind of makes everything go.”
Matt Cassel was another Chiefs quarterback to share his condolescences for Bailey.
“So sad to hear to hear about Allen Bailey,” Cassel posted on social media. “He was a great teammate and person. Prayers go out to his loved ones.”
Reid on Wednesday remembered Bailey’s kindness off the field and ferocity on the field.
“He was an outdoorsman, and then he was dirty tough,” Reid said. “And talk about giving an honest down. He gave an honest down every snap.”
“We’re praying for him and for his family, and know that all his teammates,” Mahomes said. “We have we all kind of talked, and we know that we’re going to do whatever we can to support those guys.
