Allen Bailey, former Chiefs and Falcons defensive end, dies at 37

Allen Bailey, the defensive end who spent eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and two with the Atlanta Falcons, has died at 37. Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed his former player's death during Wednesday's news conference, as reported by ESPN's Nate Taylor and Kansas City's KMBC.

ESPN reported that Bailey died Tuesday, October 20. His family's account was first reported by TMZ. An official cause of death had not been released in the reporting reviewed for this article. A family's belief about the cause is not an official determination.

Bailey entered the NFL with Kansas City in 2011 after playing at Miami. He remained with the Chiefs through the 2018 season, then played his final two NFL seasons in Atlanta. His career covered 133 regular-season games, with 22 sacks, seven fumble recoveries and 40 tackles for loss, according to ESPN's career account.

His final season in Kansas City included a career-best six sacks in 2018. But Wednesday's remembrance reached beyond the statistics. Reid spoke with affection about Bailey and offered support to his family. Patrick Mahomes, his teammate for two seasons, remembered a player whose contribution helped hold the team together.

Bailey's ten NFL seasons are part of the football record. The affection expressed by his former coach and teammates is part of how he is being remembered. This report does not speculate about the circumstances of his death or treat unconfirmed medical explanations as fact.