Donald Trump
 

As hard as the presidential race is becoming for Donald Trump, getting approved as NFL commissioner would probably be even tougher for the Republican nominee. His recent comments at a Wednesday rally in Lakeland, Florida, fail to align with the direction of NFL concussion protocol.

Trump used a woman in the crowd who had fainted as an example.

"That woman was out cold, and now she’s coming back," Trump said. "We don't go by these new, and very much softer, NFL rules. Concussions: 'Oh, oh! [You] got a little ding on the head. No, no, you can't play for the rest of the season.' Our people are tough."

Limiting the long-term effects of concussions, notably in the form of CTE, continues to be a serious topic within the NFL front office. The NFL Players' Association declined to comment on Trump's rhetoric.

Trump has made similar football analogies in other campaign speeches. In January, Trump said football has "become soft like our country." He added: "The referees, they want to all throw flags so their wives see them at home."

Earlier this week, Trump referenced his friendship with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Meanwhile, Tom Brady dodged a reporter's Trump question.

-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.