Roommies, grab the tissues! Russell Wilson had eyes leaking on Monday (Feb. 26) after he explained raising Ciara‘s son, Future, as his own.

Russell Wilson Knew From Day One Ciara & Future Were Part Of His Journey

The conversation took place during an episode of ‘I Am Athlete’ with host Brandon Marshall. Russell shared that he met Ciara when Future was just nine months old. After praying on it, Wilson says God told him Cici and lil’ man were meant to be his family.

“When I walked in the room, I see lil’ Future, he’s nine months at the time and he crawls in my lap. It was like, ‘This is gonna be my responsibility.’ I remember leaving that night and God saying to me, ‘Raising this child is gonna be your responsibility.’ I said, ‘God, are you sure this is what you want me to do?’ He said, ‘Son, this is for you.’”

From the first night he met Ciara and Future, Russell Wilson says he knew they were his family. Was that thought scary? Wilson admitted it was but clarified that it was also an opportunity.

“Yes, scary in the sense of… not scary, but it was more so an opportunity. Like, ‘Okay, God, this is what you want me to do? You know, stepping in to raise a child with Ci.’ And realizing like, ‘Okay God, I know she’s the one for me, but also too, I’m going to take this responsibility as well? Okay. And I was ready for that.”

At the time, Wilson says he was ready to “help raise a child.” To him, it was “a gift” from God.

“Even Jesus himself, Joseph, was a stepdad. It wasn’t biologically his. I was like, ‘Okay God, you gonna give me this opportunity to love the way you were love. Like the way you want us to love.” 

Wilson Says He Treats Future Like His Own Child

For context, Russell and Ciara got married in July 2016 in England. A few months later, in October, they announced their first pregnancy with Sienna Princess Wilson — who was born in April 2017. They welcomed their second son together, Win, in July 2020. They welcomed their third child, daughter Amora, in December 2023.

Even with their growing family, Russell Wilson has always publicly portrayed a close relationship with Future — from golfing and baseball sessions to most recently enjoying All-Star weekend together.

In his ‘I Am Athlete’ interview, the NFL player confirmed that what we see on the outside is exactly what’s happening inside their family dynamics. There is no differentiation in how he treats Future and his biological children with Ciara.

“No, I think that when you raising children and you’re married… you gotta love every single child as if they’re yours. That’s been the greatest gift of raising Future, Sienna, Win, and now Amora. It’s like, man, God gave me that opportunity to raise them and to love them and to care for them and teach them and to love them every day that way. And there’s no difference. I think, to me, it’s the greatest gift. Knowing that that’s my responsibility to raise all these four beautiful children all together. And we all come from blended family a lot of times… But to be able to be one, and that’s been the best gift raising these kids with Ci.”