Former Eagles, Steelers RB granted prison release to see dying daughter

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Former Eagles and Steelers running back Wendell Smallwood Jr. will be with his dying daughter in her final days after being granted an early release from prison.


A motion to withdraw Smallwood’s guilty plea was approved by Gloucester County Superior Judge Renard Scott, allowing him to see his daughter, The News Journal reported Monday.


Smallwood’s eight-year-old daughter, Mila, was diagnosed with diffuse anaplastic Wilms tumor, an aggressive and rare childhood kidney cancer, in 2026, according to the report.


Smallwood’s daughter is in palliative care and has been given just days or weeks to live after unsuccessful chemotherapy treatments, per the report.


Last September, Smallwood was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a COVID-related fraud scheme. He pleaded guilty in December 2024 to charges of felony wire fraud, conspiracy and tax fraud tied to economic relief programs.


Smallwood also pled guilty to second-degree unlawful possession of an assault firearm for possessing an AR-15 rifle in New Jersey. He was sentenced to three years in prison.


But in July, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that New Jersey’s ban on assault weapons was unconstitutional. That gave Smallwood the legal grounds to withdraw his guilty plea.


An emergency hearing on Aug. 7 ruled that his daughter’s illness was a notable reason for granting Smallwood’s motion.


Smallwood, 32, was a standout at West Virginia before being drafted by the Eagles at No. 153 overall in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft.


Smallwood rushed for 850 yards and five touchdowns across three seasons (2016-18) with the Eagles. He was a member of the Super Bowl LII champions.


Smallwood spent the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons bouncing from the Commanders to the Steelers to the Jaguars and back to the Commanders.


Smallwood appeared in one game for the Steelers in 2020. He spent the majority of the season on the practice squad.

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