Sports
Former Chiefs defensive end Allen Bailey dies at 37 as Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes remember a "glue guy"
Bailey, who spent eight seasons in Kansas City before two with the Falcons, was found dead at his Florida home. Reid called him one of his favorite players.
Allen Bailey, the former defensive end who spent most of his 10-year NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs, has died. He was 37.
Bailey was found dead Tuesday at his home in Florida by his wife. His family has said they believe he died of natural causes, though no official cause of death had been released as of Wednesday afternoon.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid spoke about Bailey on Wednesday. "Our hearts go out to his family and our prayers are with them," Reid said. "Way too young, obviously. He was one of my favorite players, a great kid. I'm just sorry to see that happened to him."
Eight seasons in Kansas City
The Chiefs drafted Bailey in 2011 and he spent his first eight seasons in Kansas City. His best year came in 2018, when he posted a career-high six sacks with 10 quarterback hits and four fumble recoveries, returning one of them for a touchdown.
He closed his career with two seasons in Atlanta. Across 133 games he finished with 22 sacks, 40 tackles for loss and seven fumble recoveries.
"One of those glue guys"
Patrick Mahomes played alongside Bailey for two seasons and said Bailey was the first person he saw when he walked into the Chiefs locker room after the 2017 draft. "I see Allen Bailey and I'm like, 'This isn't the Big 12 anymore,'" Mahomes said. "It was surreal to see him."
"A great teammate -- he's one of those glue guys on the team," Mahomes said. "He makes plays. He's not necessarily a superstar, but the guy that kind of makes everything go. We're praying for his family."
Former teammates including Chris Jones, Dwayne Bowe, Mitch Morse and Mitchell Schwartz shared their love for Bailey within hours of the news and remembered his fun, energetic personality.
Reid said the loss hit especially hard because Bailey's father also died young. "It's terrible, especially with all the good he did," Reid said. "He's got a family and that's a sad deal. It makes you sick when it happens to somebody that young."
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