Report: Murphy-Bunting, Miller Return to Buccaneers Practice on Monday

What was expected is now official: Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and wide receiver Scotty Miller returned to practice on Monday amid their 21-day practice window while on the injured reserve, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic.

The Buccaneers ran a light, bonus practice following their bye week on Monday, per Auman, meaning Murphy-Bunting and Miller's statuses will continue to be worth monitoring as the week goes on and Tampa Bay holds more intense workouts.

Both Murphy-Bunting and Miller had their practice windows opened during the Buccaneers bye week, indicating that the two players are close to a return to play after suffering serious injuries earlier this season.

Murphy-Bunting, the Buccaneers' starting nickel cornerback, went down in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys with a dislocated elbow and has not played since. In that game, Murphy-Bunting tallied two tackles across 16 defensive snaps. During the 2020 season, Murphy-Bunting accumulated 70 tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception, three defended passes and a forced fumble. He picked off three passes during Tampa Bay's 2020-21 playoff run.

Miller went on injured reserve after Week 3, as he suffered what was described as a "pretty severe" turf toe injury against the Los Angeles Rams. Miller had caught two passes for 11 yards on the year before going on injured reserve, and hauled in career-highs of 33 receptions for 501 yards and three touchdowns in 2020.