Russell Wilson opens up for the first time about life with Ciara and stepchild Future: ‘What a wonderful gift’

Russell Wilson adores his blended family!

The Denver Broncos quarterback, 35, spoke candidly in a new interview released on Monday about the moment he knew he was ready to be a father — which also happened to be his first meeting with his future wife Ciara, 38, and stepson Future Zahir, 9.

“Right before I met [Ciara], I wrote out my five non-negotiables,” Wilson told I AM ATHLETE. He shared his list included meeting a woman of faith, independence and someone “that was going to love me the way my mom loved my dad on his deathbed, when he was at his lowest.”

“… And so I prayed about that … I wrote it out actually on a napkin at dinner,” he continued. “… Three days later I meet [Ciara]. When I walked in the room and saw, you know, little Future, who was 9 months at the time, and he crawls in my lap … it was like, ‘This is going to be my responsibility.’ “

“I remember leaving that night and God saying to me, ‘Raising this child it’s gonna be your responsibility.’ And realizing that, I’m praying to God, ‘Are you sure this is what you want me to do?’ He’s saying, ‘Son this is for you.’ [That was] the first night,” Wilson explained.

When asked if he initially found the prospect of becoming a step-parent scary, Wilson responded, “Not scary, but it was also an opportunity. Like, ‘Okay God, this is what you want me to do?’ Stepping in to raise a child with [Ciara] and realizing that, ‘Okay God, I know she’s the one for me.’ But also too, I’m gonna take this responsibility as well.”

“And I was ready for that,” Wilson added. “… What a gift.”

Wilson and Ciara first met at a Wisconsin basketball game in March 2015, less than a year after the singer welcomed her first son Future Zahir with rapper Future. The pair went on to tie the knot in July 2016 and now share three children: daughter Sienna, 6, son Win, 3, and baby daughter Amora, who arrived in December 2023.

When it comes to raising his children, Wilson also shared “there’s no difference” in his approach to parenting Future Zahir.

“When you’re raising children … you’ve got to love every single child as if they’re yours,” he said. “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 there’s no difference.”

The father of four concluded, “I think to me it’s the greatest gift, knowing that that’s the responsibility to raise these four beautiful children.”