Washington football team puts Ryan Vermillion on leave

The Washington football team has placed head athletic coach Ryan Vermillion on administrative leave for what a team statement called an “ongoing criminal investigation” unrelated to the club.

Federal law enforcement officials, including officers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, served a search warrant at the Washington practice center, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Another search warrant was served at a local home, according to one of the people, each of whom spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity on Monday because the investigation is ongoing.

Vermillion, who is also the team’s director of sports medicine, is in his second season under coach Ron Rivera in Washington after 18 seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

Asked on Monday about Vermillion’s status and if he was paid while on leave, Rivera repeatedly referred to the team’s statement and declined to give details.

“We’re going to stick with that for now,” said Rivera, who worked with Vermillion for nine seasons in Carolina before bringing him to Washington. “I’m not going to comment on how I personally feel about what’s going on. It would go beyond what I need to say.

Vermillion did not travel with the team last weekend for their game in Atlanta. Washington’s assistant coaches are Mark McCracken, Doug Quon and Masahiro Takahagi, although Rivera did not reveal who was in charge while Vermillion was not there.

“For now, we’re going to work with the doctors, and we’ll take it from there,” he said.

Rivera said he will talk to the players about focusing on their next game against New Orleans and that he’s not worried that Vermillion’s absence will be a distraction.

“The most important thing we’re going to talk about is definitely to focus on what’s important to us right now, in terms of preparing for football matches, and that’s how we’re going to handle it,” Rivera said. “I think guys know how to compartmentalize themselves and prepare. They will know when to focus on what is important to prepare for playing football.

NBC Sports Washington and the local NBC affiliate first reported the raid. A report on 106.7 FM in Washington said authorities spoke to a Vermillion player earlier this year, whom Rivera said he knew nothing about.

Washington hired Vermillion shortly after Rivera in January 2020, with owner Dan Snyder calling him a perfect fit and “one of the most respected and experienced athletic coaches in the NFL.” Rivera said at the time that he “saw firsthand the positive impact Ryan had on a team.”

Vermillion won the Fain-Cain Memorial Award for the NFL’s Best Coach of the Year in 2016, and in 2003 he led the Coaching Staff of the Year, as voted on by his colleagues in the league.

Prior to his time in Carolina, Vermillion spent a season as director of rehabilitation in Washington. Prior to that, he spent nine seasons on Hall of Fame coach Don Shula’s team with the Miami Dolphins: four as head coach and five as director of rehab.

Vermillion graduated from the University of Miami in 1987 and spent four years as a student trainer.