Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be available for the first time this season after missing the first two games due to an oblique injury.
Tagovailoa didn't have a designation on the Falcons' final injury report Wednesday ahead of Thursday's matchup against the Green Bay Packers. He's expected to serve as the backup for Michael Penix Jr., who was named the starter Monday.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said earlier Wednesday that Tagovailoa was "trending in the right direction," according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
The Alabama product was listed as a limited participant Monday before being upgraded to a full participant for Tuesday's and Wednesday's sessions.
Tagovailoa appeared to aggravate his injury during a practice session before Atlanta's season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 2023 Pro Bowler was supposed to be the Falcons' starting quarterback for Week 1 before he was sidelined.
Quarterback Cooper Rush ended up starting the first two games of the regular season. Penix was still rehabbing a torn ACL that he suffered last season and couldn't suit up.
The Falcons signed Tagovailoa to a one-year, $1.2-million contract in March. The Miami Dolphins released him after six seasons with the team.
The 28-year-old Tagovailoa is nearly three seasons removed from leading the league with 4,624 passing yards in 2023.
Atlanta will have their top two quarterbacks available for the first time this season. The Falcons' offense struggled to find consistency in the first two games of the campaign. Atlanta is the only team that hasn't run a single play or recorded a drive inside an opponent's red zone.
