A ruling from a New Jersey judge has now made Wendell Smallwood Jr., who used to play running back in the NFL, gain prominence. The ruling will enable the former player to be released from prison early before he rejoins his 8-year-old daughter Mila, who is on hospice care due to the advanced stage of cancer she is suffering from. This is a 2026 ruling made on August 7 that will help Smallwood in his federal sentence period.
Wendell Lynn Smallwood Jr., 32, is a Wilmington, Delaware-area native and father of three. He grew up as an Eagles fan and later became a professional running back known for his college production at West Virginia University.
Philadelphia selected Smallwood in the fifth round (No. 153 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. He played primarily for the Eagles from 2016 to 2018 and was part of the Super Bowl LII championship roster that defeated the New England Patriots. He later appeared with the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers. Across his career he recorded 238 carries for 956 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, plus 60 receptions for 474 yards and two receiving scores.
Smallwood has been incarcerated since 2024. In a federal case, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy, and tax fraud tied to COVID-19 relief programs and related false tax returns. In September 2025 he received an 18-month federal sentence and was ordered to pay about $645,000 in restitution. Separately, he faced a New Jersey state charge for second-degree unlawful possession of an assault firearm an AR-15-style rifle he had purchased legally in Pennsylvania and kept locked in a basement safe at his New Jersey home. That case carried a concurrent three-year state sentence that created a detainer blocking earlier federal release.
Earlier in 2026, Smallwood’s daughter Mila was diagnosed with diffuse anaplastic Wilms tumor, a rare and aggressive form of childhood kidney cancer. Chemotherapy proved unsuccessful. She is now in palliative care. Doctors have indicated a prognosis of days to weeks. Family and attorneys have described the focus as keeping her comfortable.
Judge Renard Scott of the Superior Court of Gloucester County heard the matter in a special session on August 7 and granted Smallwood’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea in the gun case filed against him by the State of New Jersey following the ruling of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on July 2026 declaring the ban on assault weapons in New Jersey unconstitutional.
“This is an illness that is untreatable,”
Scott said.
“His daughter has days, possibly weeks remaining.”
He noted Smallwood was not viewed as a danger to the community and was roughly three months from full parole eligibility, adding that
“that very well may be too late.”
Attorney Yaron Helmer claimed that,
“This is more than just semantics here. This is whether his daughter gets one last hug from her father.”
The same attorney stated,
“There is nothing they can do except ease her comfort at this point in time. There isn’t a better reason for wanting to see his dying daughter.”
However, the prosecutors objected to the application and asked for a stay. Scott rejected the application.
The plea withdrawal removed the state detainer that had blocked release under Smallwood’s federal sentence terms, program participation, and disciplinary record. Helmer indicated release could come as early as around August 17. As of mid-August 2026 reporting from the Delaware News Journal and other outlets, Smallwood had not yet been confirmed released; the process remains pending.
Smallwood’s wife, Autumn, expressed gratitude while keeping focus on their daughter:
“We felt the support from so many people, and we are truly grateful. We are grateful for this step forward, but our biggest fight is still Mila’s. Please continue to keep her in your prayers as she continues to fight.”
