How do NFL football trades work?

Question

Example: Does Brett Favre have a choice of where he can go? Or does he have to play for the team that Packers traded him for? What are his options if he really does not like a team that he is traded for?

Answer 1

Officially the player does not have much say in the matter unless he has a 'no trade' clause in his contract. Then he would have the right to approve or deny any potential trade.  

Most players in the NFL don't have 'no trade' clauses so as long as the player still has years remaining on his contract with the team, that team can trade his rights (along with the current terms of his contract) to any other team.  In Favre's case, he has 2 yrs remaining so now he has 2 yrs remaining with the Jets for the same amount of money.  

The player doesn't really have a choice.  Of course, he could refuse to go and play for that team but then it would be just like any other player that 'sits out' and doesn't play under the terms of his contract.  He'd lose money for not playing.  But that team still owns his rights.  That's why Favre wanted the Packers to "release" him.  In that case the Packers wouldn't have had to honor the contract or pay him anything, and Favre could have gone anywhere he wanted and signed a new contract with another team.  But the Packers wouldn't release him because they knew he'd go to their rival Vikings.  That's why they traded him to an AFC team so that they don't have to worry about facing him very often.