Stop the presses!

Brett Favre has an “itch” to keep playing pro football.

And I have an itch from a mosquito bite suffered while mowing my lawn last night.

Face it, friends. The disclosure by ESPN’s Chris Mortensen Wednesday afternoon that Favre has reportedly told Packers head coach Mike McCarthy within the last couple of weeks that he might be thinking about re-entering the NFL fray — just three months removed from his tear-drenched retirement announcement — is hardly worth the pre-July 4 fireworks that Mortensen’s latest “scoop” appears to be generating as we all get ready for a nice, long weekend.

“It’s all rumor,” Favre told the Mississippi Sun Herald last night.

As for the Packers, all the powers-that-be are on vacation and unavailable for comment.

So what are we really left with?

Nothing but the latest round of “what ifs?” should the rumor really contain some substance.

Interestingly, Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, totally downplayed the report. You’d think he’d be the one most likely to be pushing all the “Brett’s coming back” buttons, considering how much Cook would obviously stand to benefit if Favre did indeed resume his glorious career.

Instead, it’s Favre’s family members who seem to be the ones really greasing the wheels.

Scott Favre told a Milwaukeee television station last night that his brother has been working out, and that the odds of him returning are about “50-50.”

Favre’s mom, Bonita, told another local station that her son hasn’t felt much love from the Packers’ organization in recent times — an interesting tidbit for those of you wondering if Favre would consider following in the footsteps of Joe Montana and resuming his career for a new team if the Pack decided it didn’t want Favre back, which a lot of team insiders believe is the case.

But here’s the bottom line: Brett Favre has an “itch” to play pro football when he wakes up every morning, and when he goes to bed every night. And he will probably have an “itch” to play the game in which he excelled at such a high level even when he’s old and gray. Anybody who ever witnessed his pure joy and passion while wearing the green and gold can figure that out.

What Favre made painfully clear in his retirement speech, however, was that he didn’t think he could deal any longer with all the ancillary stuff — and there’s nothing more ancillary than the pre-training-camp OTAs and whatnot that have now been concluded.

In a few short weeks, NFL training camps will be opening from coast to coast, and it will be time for everybody in the world of pro football to really get back down to business.

Ask me about Favre’s “itch” on July 21, one week before the Packers’ camp is set to open. In the meantime — unless Favre or the Packers say anything directly about the matter — please just try to relax.

Unless, of course, your name is Aaron Rodgers.