INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Doug Pederson this week left no doubt:

Trevor Lawrence is the Jaguars' quarterback – for the present and future. And while Pederson said that's a very good thing, it doesn't mean Lawrence is a finished thing.

"We do have the right quarterback," he said.

Pederson, entering his third season as the Jaguars' head coach, spoke extensively about Lawrence when speaking to the media at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine Tuesday – and said while Lawrence is the quarterback for the future, he must continue developing.

"It's our job as coaches to get him to take the next step," Pederson said.

Lawrence, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, this offseason is eligible for the first time in his career for a contract extension. Teams may begin negotiating with drafted players following their third NFL season. Because Lawrence was a first-round selection, the Jaguars also this offseason can exercise an option ensuring they maintain his rights through the 2025 season.

“I don’t want to say yes to anything at this point,” Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke said Tuesday when discussing "first-round options" for Lawrence and Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. – also a '21 first-round selection.

"They're good football players and you certainly don't want to lose them," Baalke added.

Pederson said he doesn't get "into the contract stuff" and leaves that for Baalke, adding "I'm excited for the future with Trevor."

"He's excited based on the conversations we've had since the season," Pederson said. "I just know that our guy is the right guy, he's got the right demeanor, he's got the right leadership. This will be another big offseason for him and his development and growth.

"By no means is he where he wants to be or where we want him to be, but really looking forward to working another year with Trevor."

Lawrence, after throwing 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 2022, threw 21 touchdowns with 14 interceptions in 2023. He played through a series of late-season injuries, leaving three of the Jaguars' final six games with injuries and missing the first start of his NFL career in a Week 17 26-0 home victory over the Carolina Panthers.

When discussing specific area for potential improvement for Lawrence, Pederson this week emphasized "continuing to understand our offense, get better with the scheme" and putting "more of an impact to his voice on our offense."

"He's the one out there executing and calling the plays, so I want him to speak up and really take ownership in that with us," Pederson said. "The situational part of football too, just understanding game situations, managing the game in a certain way at certain times throughout the course of the game … those are all areas that we can continue as a staff to assist him and help him get to where he wants to be."

Pederson during his end-of-season media availability emphasized the offense and Lawrence reducing turnovers, calling giveaways "the biggest thing that he has to focus on moving forward." Lawrence has 60 career turnovers in three seasons, including a league-leading 21 in 2023.

"It has to improve," Pederson said Tuesday. "He knows it. He can't keep turning the ball over. We have to protect it and we will. There are a lot of things we can communicate with him and you just have to keep going back and showing him the reasons: 'This is why you made this decision. This is why the ball came out of your hand. This is why.'

"You show him the whys and educate him. He'll embrace that, he'll get better and he looks forward to doing that."

NOTABLE

• Baalke on Tuesday spoke positively of ongoing negotiations with pending unrestricted free agents, saying he had met with representatives outside linebacker Josh Allenin recent weeks and also met personally recently with wide receiver Calvin Ridley. He also said he will be meeting this week in Indianapolis with the agent for guard Ezra Cleveland, who started five games after being acquired in a trade-deadline trade with the Minnesota Vikings. "We'll sit down and talk," Baalke said. "We traded for him for a reason and we think he's an awfully good football player. We'd like him back. We'd like all of our players back. That's the way we roll. Unfortunately, you can't get them all back. We'll work hard, talk with Ron [Slavin], his agent, and we'll talk with Ezra a little bit and see if we can come to an agreement."

QUOTABLE

• Baalke: "I don't ever try to look back and say, 'What if?' There's things that we've got to do better and ultimately, it falls on my shoulders to make the right decisions and make the right moves. With obviously a lot of discussion and talk with Coach (Pederson), and we're very much on the same page. We work hard to be on the same page. We're going to continue to do what we do."