Former NFL running back Wendell Smallwood has been granted an early prison release to be with his dying daughter in her final days.
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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.
Mila is currently in palliative care and has been given just days or weeks to live after unsuccessful chemotherapy attempts, per the report.
Smallwood, a former running back for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, 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.
The former West Virginia standout pleaded guilty in September 2024. He has remained behind bars since.
Smallwood, 32, 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.
NFL Star Granted Prison Release to Reunite With Dying Daughter
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 justifiable reason for granting Smallwood's motion.
Per the outlet, Smallwood's good behavior while behind bars also influenced the decision.
"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 was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Smallwood rushed for 850 yards and five touchdowns across three seasons with the Eagles. He was a member of the Super Bowl LII champions.
Following his stint with the Eagles, Smallwood bounced around the league.
From 2019 to 2021, he suited up for the Steelers, Commanders and Jaguars. Overall, he played six NFL seasons.
