Patrick Mahomes has paid an emotional tribute to his former Kansas City Chiefs teammate Allen Bailey following his tragic death at the age of 37. Bailey's brother, Alford, told TMZ on Wednesday that Bailey's wife discovered his body inside their Florida home on Tuesday. He reportedly died from natural causes. Bailey spent eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs after being selected in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami. Two of those seasons overlapped with Mahomes after he was drafted out of Texas Tech in 2017 and then went on to become the starting quarterback in 2018.

Speaking about Bailey on Wednesday afternoon, Mahomes said: 'I tell this story every year: He was the first person I saw when I stepped into the locker room after the draft. I see Allen Bailey and I'm like, "This isn't [college] anymore." It was surreal to see him. 'Obviously, it's terrible to hear the news. A great teammate - he's one of those glue guys on the team. He makes plays. He's not necessarily a superstar, but the guy that kind of makes everything go.' Mahomes continued: 'We're praying for his family. [As] teammates, we've talked and we know that we're going to do whatever we can to support those guys.'

Also addressing the news on Wednesday, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said: 'Sad news. Our hearts go out to his family. Prayers are with them. Way too young, obviously. One of my favorite players. Great, great kid.' The Chiefs added in a statement: 'Allen Bailey was an excellent teammate, generous man, and kind soul. We're deeply saddened to hear of his passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.'

Nicknamed 'Hulk' because of his imposing stature, Bailey joined the Atlanta Falcons after leaving the Chiefs in 2019 for two seasons before getting released in 2021. Bailey played in 133 regular season NFL games during his career. He totaled 22 sacks and 248 combined tackles. A Sapelo Island, Georgia, native, Bailey played high school football at McIntosh County Academy before being recruited by Miami. After his retirement, he founded the Allen Bailey Foundation to help children through 'football camps, community events and digital resources tailored to foster talent and promote academic readiness.'