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Wendell Smallwood Jr. Credit: Quinn Harris/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
A former NFL player, sentenced on fraud and gun possession charges, is reportedly being released early to spend time with his 8-year-old daughter who is dying of cancer
Wendell Smallwood Jr., a former running back for the Philadelphia Eagles and other teams, had his guilty plea withdrawn by a New Jersey judge on Aug. 7
Smallwood’s daughter was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year
A former NFL player who has been incarcerated since 2024 will reportedly be released early so he can spend his young daughter’s final days with her as she dies from cancer.
Wendell Smallwood Jr., a former running back for the Philadelphia Eagles and other teams, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in September 2025 on federal fraud charges related to COVID-19 economic relief programs, according to the News Journal . He pleaded guilty in September 2024 and has remained behind bars since.
He is also serving a concurrent three-year state prison sentence after pleading guilty in an unrelated gun possession case out of New Jersey earlier this year, the outlet reported.
But on Friday, Aug. 7, Gloucester County Superior Court Judge Renard Scott withdrew Smallwood’s state guilty plea, citing his daughter’s illness as a valid reason for the decision, the outlet reported .
The ruling also follows a July appeals court decision that found New Jersey’s assault weapons ban unconstitutional, which allowed Smallwood, 32, to withdraw his plea.
Additionally, per the outlet, Smallwood’s early release was influenced by his federal prison record and participation in rehabilitation programs.
Wendell Smallwood Jr. Credit: Scott Taetsch/Getty
According to the News Journal , his 8-year-old daughter, Mila, was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and doctors now say she may have only days or weeks to live.
“This is not just a matter of legal semantics,” Smallwood’s attorney, Yaron Helmer, told the outlet . “It’s about whether his daughter will hold her dad again.”
Helmer added that Smallwood could be released as early as Monday, Aug. 17.
Smallwood, a West Virginia University graduate, was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 NFL Draft, according to NFL.com . He later played for the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Read the original article on People
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