The future of the Patriots is currently a Cleveland Brown ... so says Mark Wahlberg, who tells TMZ Sports Baker Mayfield is Tom Brady's successor!!
Marky Mark was leaving Catch in WeHo on Friday when he gave us his State of the Patriots address ... from Brady and Rob Gronkowski's absense from OTAs and Julian Edelman's failed PED test.
Wahlberg goes down the list of rumors and reassures he's confident the team is doing just fine ... saying Edelman's an innocent man ... and there's no way TB12 is hanging it up anytime soon.
But, when he DOES retire ... Wahlberg says the Browns' no.1 overall pick is destined for Foxborough one way or another.