Washington hires former Panthers head trainer Ryan Vermillion

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Ron Rivera is the new coach in Washington and he’s going to have a familiar face running the team’s training staff.

According to multiple reports, Washington is hiring Ryan Vermillion as their head athletic trainer. He held the same job with the Panthers while Rivera was the head coach in Carolina.

The Washington Post reports that the change is “a key element” of Rivera’s effort to get left tackle Trent Williams to return to the team. Williams was unhappy with how the team handled the care of a growth on his head that turned out to be cancerous. Williams held out until the trade deadline in late October and was then placed on the non-football injury list.

Williams said he didn’t think his relationship with the team could be salvaged, but it appears Rivera is banking on a new administration presenting Williams with a way to return to the fold.