What is the NFL Trade Deadline? How it works, rules, and eligibility explored 

The 2022 NFL season has been among the most thrilling for quite some time. There are so many subplots this season, and it feels surreal. The Philadelphia Eagles remain the unbeaten team in the league, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are struggling mightily, Travis Kelce is putting up Rob Gronkowski touchdown numbers, and the Carolina Panthers have already blown it up.

There's so much to come with the NFL trade deadline being less than a week away and teams scrambling to get the job done. So here, we will give you a crash course on the NFL trade deadline and why this is such a pivotal part of the Gridiron season.

What is the NFL trade deadline, and how does it work?

The NFL trade deadline is the official close to all league-wide trades till the end of the current league season. This is when all league-wide trades must be approved by the league, the absence of which would make the trade vetoed.

The trade deadline works with all the teams having an equal opportunity to trade for opposing players of all positions from the beginning of the day till midnight of the same day, with this year's trade deadline falling on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. ET, following Week 8 of the season.

Why do trade deadlines exist?

Trade deadlines exist to regulate the league and prevent bigger teams from having an unfair advantage over smaller market teams. The purpose of a trade deadline is to keep a competitive balance toward the end of the season.

How are the new rules affecting the NFL trade deadline?

The new CBA allows players to hit unrestricted free agency after playing for four years (or five for first-round picks who had their option picked up). Thus, franchises will be given an exception for a single franchise player each year. In addition, the NFLPA agreed to a salary cap of 8.2 million based on projected revenues.

2022 NFL Trade Deadline eligibility

Any football player can have his contract given to another team via trade before or during the trade deadline. This rule will hold forth, except the player's agent has put a no-trade clause in his contract under the special provisions. Thus, if the team desires to trade with a player with a no-trace provision, the player himself will need to agree to such an action expressly.

Does the NFL have to approve trades?

Yes, the National Football League has to approve every trade under the banner of the Gridiron. Any unapproved trade will thus be vetoed.

Some reasons a trade might be disapproved include trading a player with a no-trade clause, a prayer failing a medical, and a trade occurring after the trade deadline.

Can you trade on the trade deadline?

Yes, you can trade on the trade deadline. However, all trades made following the trade deadline can only be effective at the end of the current league season.

What happens when a player requests a trade?

NFL players are some of the best in their positions in the whole sport. As such, several players expected to be treated as royalty. Anything else would likely lead to a player expressing his desire to leave a franchise by leaving at the end of his contract or by trade.

It is much easier to leave a franchise using the former, as no player can be stopped from exploring free agency. However, it is a different ball game when a player desires to exit a franchise via trade.

When a player requests a trade, two things can happen. Either the player's current team honors the request. It looks for a fitting trade partner for the player, or the team chooses to veto the request and keep the disgruntled player on the franchise. Both choices have pros and cons, depending on the player's relationship with the front office. However, there are no legal ramifications that a team can face if they reject a player's trade request.