Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A general view of the Philadelphia Eagles helmet before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Tragic Update Leads to Emergency Prison Release for Former Eagles Super Bowl Champion 1
The Philadelphia Eagles have not touched the field since their gut-punch playoff exit in January, and the offseason for one of the franchise’s old faces has been anything but quiet. Wendell Smallwood Jr., who helped the Eagles capture Super Bowl LII, has spent the past several months far from any football stadium. Now his name is back in headlines for a reason no one expected.
A Judge’s Decision Changes Everything For Wendell Smallwood
Wendell Smallwood Jr. is set to walk out of custody days earlier than planned after a Gloucester County judge granted an emergency motion tied to his daughter’s failing health. On August 7, Superior Court Judge Renard Scott allowed Smallwood to withdraw a guilty plea in a New Jersey gun possession case, a decision made possible after a federal appeals court struck down the state’s assault weapons ban in July.
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Colt’s defense makes a tackle against Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood. Photo provided by Elsa/Getty Images.
Scott pointed directly to Smallwood’s family situation, noting that his daughter, Mila, has been diagnosed with diffuse anaplastic Wilms tumor, a rare and untreatable kidney cancer. Doctors have told the family the eight-year-old has only days or weeks remaining, and she is now receiving end-of-life care.
Ex-Super Bowl champ gets early release from prison to be with 8-year-old daughter dying of cancer https://t.co/2rVQKSH4qd pic.twitter.com/AR30fRVtXH
— New York Post (@nypost) August 13, 2026
Prosecutors asked the judge to pause the ruling while they appealed, but Scott refused, citing the urgency of the situation. Smallwood’s conduct while in federal custody, along with his participation in rehabilitation programs, reportedly factored into the ruling as well.
He is also serving a concurrent federal sentence tied to a Covid-19 relief fraud case from 2024. Before his legal troubles, Smallwood spent six seasons in the NFL. He rushed for 956 yards on 238 carries and caught 60 passes for 474 yards starting with the Eagles, after they picked him in the 2016 draft.
Smallwood’s NFL Journey Adds Weight To The Story
Smallwood’s time in the backfield, joining a long line of Eagles running backs later took him to the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers closing out a career that once connected him to the same NFC East rivalry fans still talk about heading into 2026.
But nothing in his playing days compares to what his family is facing now, and the courtroom scene from last week made that painfully clear.
“This is not just a matter of legal semantics. It’s about whether his daughter will hold her dad again,” Smallwood’s lawyer told the Delaware News Journal.
Those words captured why Judge Scott moved so quickly, brushing aside a request from prosecutors for more time. With release expected as soon as Monday, the focus now shifts entirely to Mila and the time her family has left together.
For now, Smallwood’s focus stays far from football, with Mila’s care the only priority. The Eagles, meanwhile, open their preseason slate Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens, a fresh start after January’s playoff heartbreak to the 49ers.
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