Mac Jones pays homage to Jaguars draft bust by wearing his throwback jersey

The Jacksonville Jaguars are wearing the Prowler jerseys for their game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5. Several players are wearing gear that pays homage to past Jags teams. Mac Jones didn't want to be left behind but made a peculiar choice when choosing his apparel for the divisional bout.

Before the game, Jones was spotted wearing the No. 18 jersey of former Jaguars receiver Matt Jones. This is noteworthy because both share similarities beyond their last game.

Both Joneses were drafted in the first round and experienced adversity early in their respective careers. That said, there are also several differences between the two. Mac Jones plays quarterback and was originally selected by the New England Patriots whereas Matt Jones played receiver (although he played quarterback in college).

The 21st overall pick in the 2005 draft, Jones appeared in 54 games with 15 starts for Jacksonville, hauling in 166 receptions for 2,153 yards with 15 touchdowns. While the former Arkansas Razorback showed promise early on, his career was plagued by off-field issues, mainly related to substance abuse.

Meanwhile, Jones went to the Pats with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft. Although he made the Pro Bowl and led New England to the Patriots as a rookie, he took several steps back and was benched several times the following two years. In his defense, several coaching decisions played a role in his regression.

Ultimately, the Patriots decided that they had seen enough of Jones and traded him to the Jags earlier this year. In Jacksonville, he's enjoyed a career revival and has showed a renewed love for football.

Even though Jones has yet to play in the regular season, he had a strong offseason, completing 73.1 percent of his throws for 421 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Jones' strong outing in the preseason, along with the presence of Trevor Lawrence has led to trade speculation ahead of the November 5 deadline. However, there are no reports that they're planning to move on from him.

Mac Jones is celebrating the return of the Jaguars throwback jerseys

Mac Jones is far from the only Jaguars player rocking throwback gear — rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was also wearing a 90s-inspired shirt during warmups — but he's the one that's stood out the most.

As of this writing, the Jaguars were losing 0-7, but this is a game that they cannot afford to lose. Leaving aside that they're wearing the Prowler jersey for the first time since, 2008, they're also inducting former head coach Tom Coughlin into the Pride of the Jaguars, the team's Ring of Honor. Moreover, Jacksonville has not lost to the Colts at EverBank since 2014.

If that wasn't enough, it's Trevor Lawrence's birthday, so the last thing the Jags want to do is to lose on a day that is supposed to be a celebration. Sure, the weather won't be helping them but they have more than enough things going in their favor to come out on top.

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