Washington's head trainer on leave amid reported federal investigation

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Washington placed head trainer Ryan Vermillion on administrative leave on Monday amid a criminal investigation, the team said.

It wasn’t immediately clear why Vermillion was being investigated. Washington coach Ron Rivera referred reporters to a team statement when asked about the situation during his press conference.

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Ron Rivera didn't comment on Vermillion. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

"Ryan Vermillion has been placed on administrative leave due to an ongoing criminal investigation that is unrelated to the team," the team said in a statement.

NBC Sports Washington reported that federal authorities searched the INOVA Sports Performance Center in Ashburn, Virginia, and a Loudon County home on Friday. Residents in the neighborhood reportedly saw Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Ryan Vermillion was praised when he came to Washington. (David T. Foster III/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The DEA said it couldn't comment.

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Vermillion is listed as the director of sports medicine and the head athletic trainer of the Washington Football Team.

Ryan Vermillion, left, spent time on Ron Rivera's staff while the two were in Carolina. (David T. Foster III/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

"Ryan Vermillion enters his second season as Washington's head athletic trainer in 2021. Prior to coming to Washington, he spent 18 seasons as the head athletic trainer for the Carolina Panthers, nine of which he worked under former Panther head coach and current Washington Head Coach Ron Rivera," Vermillion’s bio on the team’s website read.

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Team owner Dan Snyder called Vermillion "one of the most respected and seasoned head athletic trainers in the NFL" in 2020 when the trainer joined the organization from the Panthers. Rivera said at the time he has "seen firsthand the positive impact Ryan has on a team."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.