The Atlanta Falcons organization and its fans are mourning the loss of Allen Bailey, the Georgia-born defensive end who closed his decade-long NFL career in red and black.
Bailey, who wore No. 93 for the Falcons in 2019 and 2020, was found dead at his Florida home on October 20. He was 37.
His brother, Alford Bailey Jr., confirmed the news, and the family believes he died of natural causes. His wife discovered him inside their residence.
Bailey’s path back to his home state carried special meaning for Falcons supporters.
Born on Sapelo Island, a remote stretch of the Georgia coast without traffic lights or organized youth football, he first learned the game in informal pickup contests with relatives.
He later starred at McIntosh County Academy in Darien before heading to the University of Miami, where he earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2009.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the third round of the 2011 draft, and he spent eight productive seasons there, establishing himself as a reliable rotational and starting defensive lineman who finished with 19.5 sacks in a Chiefs uniform.
In the summer of 2019, Bailey returned to Georgia by signing a two-year, $10.5 million contract with the Falcons. The move gave Atlanta a proven veteran who had just posted a career-high six sacks the previous season in Kansas City.
He appeared in 15 games with five starts in his first year, recording 26 tackles and a sack while helping stabilize the defensive line.
The Falcons extended him the following March, and he played all 16 games in 2020, adding another 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Across 31 appearances in Atlanta, he contributed 41 total tackles and 2.5 sacks while offering leadership to a young defensive front during transitional seasons for the franchise.
Though the Falcons released him in February 2021 after two seasons, Bailey’s time in Atlanta represented a homecoming for a player whose roots ran deep in coastal Georgia.
Over his full career, he appeared in 133 games with 70 starts, finished with 22 sacks and 248 tackles, and earned respect as a durable professional who maximized his opportunities after a modest draft slot.
Former Chiefs coach Andy Reid later described him as one of his favorite players and a great kid, underscoring the quiet professionalism that defined Bailey’s approach.
For Falcons fans who watched him take the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the news feels especially personal. A native son who spent his final NFL years representing the team from his home state is gone far too soon.
The organization and its supporters extend their deepest condolences to Bailey’s family and friends as they remember a player whose journey from Sapelo Island to the NFL left a lasting impression on the game and on Atlanta.
