PROFILE
When an NFL player goes down, suddenly everyone in the room is a doctor.
He’s just hurt, not injured. He’ll never be the same again.
Is this the end of his Sunday or the end of his season?
Dr. Flynn has the facts.
WHAT I DO
In early September of 2016, with Tom Brady serving a 4-game suspension, starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo was driven down on his throwing shoulder by a rushing Kiko Alonso. The airwaves were quick with a tone and message that equated his inability to return to play with his lack of “toughness”. Dr. Flynn took to Twitter to correct the narrative—shedding light on the realities of the injury and the road ahead.
Vague about the status of players in weekly injury reports, teams leave a lot of room for speculation. At the suggestion of a fellow physician and football fan, Dr. Flynn started a digital platform to provide fair and accurate commentary.
Turns out she was really good at it.
280 characters turned into invitations from sports networks—tapping Dr. Flynn for her expertise in medicine and her clear insights as a hardcore sports fan. Pouring water on hot takes to give media and fans the info they need while being respectful to the athletes, she isn’t afraid to set the record straight.
Dr. Flynn’s work can be found on The 33rd Team, Boston Sports Journal, Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports Boston and on her podcast, Sidelined with Doc Flynn where she focuses on injury analysis, medical commentary, and topics related to recovery and prevention. She is regularly invited to speak with current and former NFL executives, coaches, and athletes about injuries and their effect on the game, from draft picks to game planning.
15+
Years as Sports Medicine Physician
10k+
Followers Across Social Media
5+
Years in Media Commentary and Analysis
Insider Insights
No stranger to the film room, Dr. Flynn takes in snap after snap, watching all-22s to understand exactly what happened on the field. As a physician specializing in orthopedics and sports medicine she’s able to synthesize information from video replay, injury history, imaging, practice reports, and discussions with her network to make an educated determination of what’s happening.
As a fan of the game, she brings it to life.
With Dr. Flynn, what you see is what you get: earnest, transparent, confident. Her analysis ditches the spin and favors facts. Good storytelling doesn’t rely on the crutch of sensationalism; instead, it adds interest, depth, and details to what fans love most. It makes for better fans.
When she’s not at the hospital, Dr. Flynn translates her more than 15 years of experience as a sports medicine physician into real-time injury insights for fans and media—reducing the science of injury, research and studies into simplified terms. Just as she breaks down tackle technique for the players she coaches in football, Dr. Flynn makes understanding sports injuries easy.
Recognition & Awards
New England Orthopedic Society Speaker
NFL Super Bowl Injury Analyst
33rd Team Injury Analyst
Faces of Women in Healthcare Boston Magazine
Topics in Internal Medicine Speaker
New Hampshire Musculoskeletal Institute | Speaker
Positive Coaching Alliance, Healthy Athletes: Body & Mind | Panelist
A Note from Dr. Flynn
Football is part of the American cultural fabric—and despite the uncomfortable brutality of a sport that imperils its players, the nation is captivated by the big hits as much as they are the big plays.
Fans can’t look away.
All too often, an athlete goes down with an injury and announcers speculate on what happened - he grabbed his knee, he threw his helmet, he looks like he’s crying, guys are going over to check on him, his season must be over.
I elevate the injury discussion.
The sports media, driven by fan interest, has analysts for nearly every facet of the game. Why should injuries be any different? When an athlete sustains an injury on national television, responsible commentary demands knowledge and accuracy. But that’s not all. Athletes put their bodies on the line every time they take the field. In many cases their livelihood depends on their health. I have tremendous respect for the work put in by the people behind the jerseys and in turn offer injury insights with restraint, empathy, and integrity.
- Dr. Jess Flynn