Tua Tagovailoa Returns to Falcons Practice After Oblique Injury

Tua Tagovailoa is finally back on the practice field for the Atlanta Falcons, which is officially the first piece of good news this offense has produced since training camp.

ESPN's Marc Raimondi reported Tuesday that the veteran quarterback has returned to practice after dealing with an oblique injury. Tagovailoa originally went down grabbing his side during a September 10 practice and has been a ghost on the active roster ever since.

"Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) has returned to practice today. #Falcons - Marc Raimondi"

To say the Falcons desperately need him back is a massive understatement. With Tagovailoa sidelined, Atlanta handed the keys to Cooper Rush for the first two games of the season. That experiment peaked on Sunday with a completely unwatchable 34-3 blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Watching this offense operate without its starting quarterback has been like watching someone try to parallel park a tractor-trailer blindfolded. You know it is going to end in a disaster, but you still wince when the metal crunches.

For anyone holding Falcons futures or trying to handicap their weekly spreads, this team has basically been an automatic fade. Getting Tagovailoa back under center at least forces opposing defenses to respect the passing game again, which might shift the betting lines back to something resembling professional football.

The timing of his return is critical with a matchup against the Green Bay Packers looming on the schedule. Even with reports earlier this week that Michael Penix Jr. might get the nod on Thursday night, having Tagovailoa actually throwing passes in practice means Atlanta might not have to punt on their season before October even starts.