A mistake made years ago can sometimes come back to you in different ways. For ESPN host and former NFL player Ryan Clark, it came back as an apology issued to the Super Bowl XLVIII winner and former Giants QB Russell Wilson. Four years later, on the same podcast, Ryan took a moment to talk about Wilson, his family, and everything that was said in the past.

“There’s two sides to Russell Wilson being a great stepfather for Future. He cares about future. He took him like his own, and he’s showing him opportunities in a in a prestigious lifestyle.” He further praised Russell on the Pivot Podcast for being a present father in Future’s life.

“Russ is gonna make Lil Future an amazing human being. This is who Russell Wilson is as a person. Russ is present. He’s not a daddy. He’s a father. It’s about showing up, being consistent, nurturing, caring for, loving, uh, providing, and this is what Russ is doing.”

And Ryan didn’t just stop there; he further explained how “stepfather” is a mere title to Wilson. He is more than a stepdad to Future.

“The stepfather, the stepdad title, you can drop that. Yes, he’s a stepdad by meaning, but in the in their house, I’m pretty sure he’s dad.”

Before Wilson married Ciara in 2016, the Goodies singer was engaged to rapper Future and had a son with him, who also goes by the same name (Future Zahir Wilburn) as his dad. However, Wilson never once considered Future as his stepson and cared for him like his own son.

During his podcast, Ryan Clark also doubled down on this point, adding,

“When he signed up to be there for Sierra for life, this is also what he signed up for to take care of his children and whoever else’s kids came with the marriage.”

Ciara and Wilson share four children:

• Sienna Princess (born April 2017)
• Win Harrison (born July 2020)
• Amora Princess (born December 2023)
• Future (Ciara’s first child)

All four kids share the same bond with Wilson, who often hangs out with them at NFL games, Pro Bowl games, and family vacations. Recently, the former Giants QB also took Future to his first college visit to Texas.

However, Ryan may be praising Wilson right now, but he also issued an apology to the quarterback for the insensitive comments that were targeted at Russell, Ciara, and their marriage four years ago on his podcast.

“I want to say this, four years ago, we had a conversation about Russell Wilson. And looking back on it, it was immature.”

During an April 2022 episode of The Pivot podcast, former NFL linebacker Channing Crowder suggested that Ciara was only with Wilson for his money.

“If Russell didn’t have that bread, Ciara wouldn’t be with him,” the former Dolphins player said at that time. “Ciara, she has a good situation. You don’t leave Future (her ex-fiancée) and get with Russell Wilson. It’s a type. Everybody has a type. I love him on the field, but he’s f–king square,” he said.

“We brought up Ciara in that conversation, and they’ve been nothing but kind to me every time I see them.” Ryan further clarified that they shouldn’t have brought Ciara to the conversation at the time. “I want to apologize to both of y’all. I want to apologize to y’all for not separating things. I want to apologize to both of y’all for not clarifying things.”

Now, Ryan Clark has issued his apology, even if it’s four years late, but neither the quarterback nor his wife has made any comments yet. Russell and Ciara have built a successful life together since then, but the quarterback’s future remains uncertain ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

What does the offseason look like for Russell Wilson

Wilson spent a decade in Seattle from 2012 to 2021 before he was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022. Following the two seasons with Sean Payton and the Broncos, Wilson then landed in Pittsburgh on a one-year deal in 2024. During the 2025 season, Wilson signed a new one-year deal with the New York Giants.

Since becoming a free agent in the 2026 offseason, Russell Wilson hasn’t received offers. The QB may find himself as a backup once again somewhere, but long-term stability with any team at this point seems almost impossible.

During his last stint in New York, he started three games for the Giants, but couldn’t lead them to a single win in any. He threw for 831 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions with a pass completion rate of 58%.

Many analysts like Mike Florio believe that it’s over for Wilson: “At a certain point, you got to accept that it’s over.”

For now, it remains uncertain what Russell Wilson’s next step will be. The Super Bowl winner faces a difficult decision about his future if he does not get any offers in the coming days.