So on Monday, when quarterback Brett Favre was making his triumphant return to Green Bay and the Packers presumably were preparing to launch an “open competition” at the position, the team was still trying to trade Favre to a team other than the Minnesota Vikings.

Per Adam Schefter of NFL Network, the Packers spent part of Monday working on a potential trade with the Buccaneers. 

Now that Favre has been reinstated, the Packers can trade to any team without Favre’s approval, as long as the team is willing and able to immediately absorb $12 million in cap space if Favre refuses to restructure his contract.  The team also must be willing to join the media spotlight with the Packers, and to deal with Favre if he refuses to report.

Favre’s options at that point would be to fail to show, which would expose him to fines in excess of $15,000 per day, or to retire again, and face the possibility of having to pay back a portion of his past signing bonus to his new team. 

Coincidentally, the Bucs did just that with Jake Plummer a year ago, giving the Broncos a seventh-round pick that would have become a fourth-rounder if Plummer had reported.  Plummer didn’t show, and the Bucs ultimately got $3.5 million from Plummer for a seventh-round pick.