The Washington Redskins have officially announced the hiring of a new head trainer, dubbing Ryan Vermillion to replace Larry Hess, who was the longtime trainer for 17 seasons in Washington.
In a press release on Monday morning, the Redskins announced the hiring, with comments from team owner Dan Snyder, coach Ron Rivera, and team doctor James Andrews. All three had glowing reviews of Vermillion, who is “one of the most respected and seasoned head athletic trainers in the NFL,” according to Snyder.
What makes this move highly intriguing is what it means down the road in Washington. While the team could obviously benefit from a new voice in the training room, seeing as they’ve been one of the most injured teams in the league over the past decade, a fresh staff could also potentially convince some players to come back to the team. Yes, we’re talking about Trent Williams.
We all know the story with Williams at this point. After having a growth on his scalp misdiagnosed by the former medical staff in Washington, he later had a second opinion where it turned out to be cancerous. He had it removed, and subsequently vowed never to play for the Redskins again. After holding out for most of the 2019 season, team president Bruce Allen was fired, along with Hess, who shared the bulk of Williams’ animosity. So does the new leadership in Washington change anything for the seven-time Pro Bowler?
According to The Athletic, it just might. The publication reported last week that a source close to Williams told them that the firings in Washington had prompted him to at least think about returning to the team. According to the source, “there is reason to feel like there might be a chance he comes around.”
Now, this scenario didn’t include Hess being gone. Maybe that’s enough. But would still think TW will want some guaranteed $$? but perhaps a stronger desire on his part to make sure something happens. Stay tuned. Would remove a glaring need of course if he does return.
— John Keim (@john_keim) January 6, 2020
What is even more significant than a potential remarriage with Williams is the future outlook that the team now has. Many may think that Allen was the real puppet master in Washington, responsible for the decade of turmoil, and that is true. However, it was not without help from Hess, who was right there pulling some of the strings as well. A ‘new regime’ and ‘fresh culture’ wouldn’t have been possible under Rivera unless Hess was gone.
Now, the Redskins have one of the most respected coaches in the NFL, and their trainer has a strong reputation in the league, as well as an NFL Trainer of the Year award in 2016.
It’s more than Washington could have said three weeks ago.
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