The Miami Dolphins avoided a lame duck situation with head coach Joe Philbin when they gave him a one-year extension on Monday.

Philbin was set to enter the final year of his deal in 2015 but is now signed for two more full seasons. This contract does not guarantee Philbin will be the coach in 2016. The coach will be met with lofty expectations after an active off-season and may need to make the playoffs to remain employed.

Teams in all sports try to keep away from situations where a head coach or general manager is in charge without a multi-year deal. It leads to questions about stability and is in general not the best for team morale.

"You don't get the best from someone when they're operating with a gun to their head," team owner Stephen Ross said.

Over his three seasons as Miami's head coach, Philbin has compiled a 23-25 record. The team has missed the playoffs in all three seasons despite roster and front office changes. The Dolphins have also not posted a winning record under Philbin.

During his run as head coach, Philbin has seen a bullying scandal take place in Miami. There was also a moment last year when quarterback Ryan Tannehill was bothered by a lack of commitment from Philbin.

Earlier this off-season, Miami signed Ndamukong Suh to a record deal. That signing was not done for just the future but also for a playoff run in 2015. The Dolphins have also added pieces on offense and may continue to do so.