What we know about Allen Bailey’s death
Allen Bailey, a former defensive lineman who spent eight of his 10 NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, died on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, at age 37. He died at his home in Green Cove Springs, Florida, in Clay County. No official cause of death has been released.
Bailey’s brother, Alford Bailey Jr., told TMZ that Bailey’s wife found him dead inside the family’s home. The family told TMZ it believes he died of natural causes. As of Wednesday afternoon, ESPN reported that no official cause of death had been announced.
What the police report says
On Thursday, TMZ reported on a police report it obtained. According to TMZ, deputies from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office responded Tuesday morning to a call for someone in “cardiac arrest” at Bailey’s home. The report says he was pronounced dead about 10 minutes later.
TMZ reports that the sheriff’s office has since opened a death investigation. We have not found a public statement from the sheriff’s office or a medical examiner’s finding on the cause or manner of death. The “cardiac arrest” wording comes from the call as described in the report. It is not a determination of what caused his death.
Sources differ on how to describe the cause
The Daily Beast headlined its story that police said Bailey “didn’t die of natural causes.” The text of that article says only that a police report obtained by TMZ described a cardiac arrest call, that the family believed the death was natural, and that an investigation is ongoing. It does not quote an official on the cause. ESPN and the Kansas City Star report that no cause has been announced. Until the sheriff’s office or a medical examiner says more, the cause remains unconfirmed.
Bailey’s career
Bailey grew up in Hog Hammock, a community on Sapelo Island, Georgia, and took a ferry to school on the mainland, according to the Kansas City Star. He later played at the University of Miami, where he was a first-team All-ACC selection in 2009 and a second-team pick in 2010, the Miami Herald reported.
The Chiefs drafted him in the third round, 86th overall, of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played for Kansas City through the 2018 season. USA Today reported that he became a starter in 2014, recorded five sacks in 12 starts and signed a four-year, $25 million extension that season. ESPN reported his best year was 2018, with a career-high six sacks, 10 quarterback hits and four fumble recoveries, one returned for a touchdown.
He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2019; he reunited with former Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, and played 31 games there before his release in early 2021, according to USA Today and WTOC. ESPN reports he finished with 22 sacks, seven fumble recoveries and 40 tackles for loss in 133 games.
Tributes
The Chiefs said in a statement that Bailey “was an excellent teammate, generous man, and kind soul.” Coach Andy Reid told reporters on Wednesday: “Our hearts go out to his family, and our prayers are with them. Way too young, obviously. He was one of my favorite players, a great kid.” Quarterback Patrick Mahomes called him “one of those glue guys on the team.”
What is still unknown
The cause and manner of death have not been announced, and the sheriff’s office has not publicly detailed its investigation. Funeral or memorial plans had not been made public in the reports we reviewed. We will update this article as officials or the family release more information.
Updated Oct. 23, 2026.