Yes, if it is not active, it has no idea what to do.
But if you click on the Motion Tracker object to get an Attribute Manager view of its parameter, click on the lock icon while in Footage and you have always access to the Navigation Settings> Full Footage button. This works as well if you click on the plus sign of the Attribute Manager in the upper right corner, to create an additional window, which allows any other active object to be presented in the Attribute Manager.
My best wishes for your project.