Cam Newton opened up about what he sees as big trouble ahead for Tua Tagovailoa now that the Miami Dolphins have let Tyreek Hill go. The team cut Hill earlier this month in February 2026 to free up salary cap room under their new general manager and coaching staff.

ESPN’s First Take cast of Stephen A. Smith, Shae Cornette, Cam Newton and Ryan Clark during the live show at Bethune-Cookman University during the show’s HBCU fall tour, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

Hill had been a huge part of Miami’s passing game since he arrived in 2022. He led the league with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023. A bad knee injury in 2025 sidelined him after just four games and the release cleared roughly $22.9 million in cap space for the Dolphins.

Newton talked about it on his podcast and in a few other spots. He cracked that the Dolphins have “99 problems” right now, and he put Tua right at the top of the list, especially with that massive contract. Tua’s deal from 2024 still carries a huge cap number for 2026, something like $56 million with $54 million guaranteed.

Tua Tagovailoa under scrutiny as Cam Newton weighs in on Dolphins’ direction

Newton basically said the money tied up in Tua makes it really hard for Miami to move on from him, even if they wanted to. He hinted that the quarterback might be the next big name to leave as the team tries to rebuild.

He also questioned whether Hill would return at the same speed he was known for, joking that he might not be the old “Cheetah” anymore and might end up moving like “Garfield.” Newton even floated the idea of Hill reuniting with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played before joining Miami.

The Dolphins also released other veterans like edge rusher Bradley Chubb as part of the same cap-clearing moves. New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley are clearly trying to reshape the roster after a rough 2025 season that ended with Tua getting benched late in the year.

Tua has dealt with plenty of questions about his performance and leadership lately. Newton has been critical of him in the past, saying he misses the sharp, focused version from his Alabama days. Tua has pushed back before, telling critics he puts in the work and that it’s easy to judge from the outside.

Losing Hill takes away the deep speed threat that opened up the field for Tua. Now he’ll have to adjust with guys like Jaylen Waddle and whoever else is in the mix. Some reports say the Dolphins are at least open to trading Tua or bringing in veteran backups like Jimmy Garoppolo or Malik Willis.

Newton’s take puts a spotlight on how uncertain things look for Tua in Miami right now. The team hasn’t come out and said they’re definitely keeping him for 2026. With the big salary and the roster reset going on, any decision gets complicated fast.

Fans keep watching to see what the Dolphins do next at quarterback. Newton isn’t holding back his opinion as the situation plays out.