Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said Monday that coach Joe Philbin received a one-year contract extension through the 2016 season.
Ross is in Phoenix this week for the NFL owners meetings, which is where he informed several reporters about the news.
Philbin is 23-25 in three seasons as head coach. He has faced scrutiny in South Florida for various issues, such as in-game management, failure to post a winning season and the 2013 bullying scandal involving Richie Incognito that happened on Philbin's watch.
However, Ross did not want Philbin to enter season with the label of a "lame duck" coach. The 2015 season was Philbin's last under his original contract with Miami.
"You don't get the best from someone when they're operating with a gun to their head," Ross told reporters Monday.
The Dolphins went 8-8 last season for the second consecutive year, and there is still pressure on Philbin to win this season. The team recently signed Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to a $114 million contract with the expectation that Miami is playoff ready.