MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins waived former second-round pick Cam Smith from the non-football illness list, the team announced Tuesday, ending the cornerback's tenure in South Florida early in his third NFL season.
The Dolphins took Smith with the 51st pick in 2023, despite already having cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard on the roster. Smith played 15 games as a rookie, largely on special teams, as he struggled to earn then-defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's trust.
Miami released Howard the following year but signed Kendall Fuller in his place. Smith battled injuries throughout this past season and spent the first seven weeks of the year on injured reserve. He returned to play six games in 2024, including a career-high 133 defensive snaps.
After the Dolphins released Fuller and traded Ramsey this offseason, Smith faced the clearest path to playing time of his career -- and it came with a public challenge from general manager Chris Grier.
"Cam Smith needs to come through at the end of the day. He's got to stay healthy and be on the field," Grier said in April. "He has shown some flashes, but this is a very big year. He knows what's expected because we can't hold his hand and wait for him anymore."
Smith fell behind Kendall Sheffield and Storm Duck on the depth chart and ultimately missed most of training camp with an injury. He was placed on the NFI list before the start of the season for undisclosed reasons.
The former South Carolina standout was a two-year starter for the Gamecocks and earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2021 and 2022. He was a college teammate of Grier's son, Landon, at South Carolina.