SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is always looking for new, cutting-edge methods to spice up his offseason training regimen.

On Tuesday, Kittle might have found one that perfectly suits both his unabashed professional wrestling fandom and maniacal work ethic. Making an appearance on ESPN's "First Take," Kittle got a welcome surprise when host Molly Qerim Rose asked him why he likes Stone Cold Steve Austin so much.

As Kittle began to answer, Austin popped up on the screen, catching Kittle off guard and resulting in smiles all around.

"This is the first time I really got to talk to you, so this is awesome for me," Kittle said. "You just made my whole day incredible."

Since his arrival in the NFL, Kittle has kept an Austin action figure in his locker and once performed Austin's finishing move -- the "Stone Cold Stunner" -- at a small wrestling event in Iowa a few years ago.

Still, it's Austin's no-care, you-can't-stop-me attitude that Kittle has long admired.

"I use the wrestling stuff, whether it's Stone Cold or The Rock, just their personalities just kind of gets me in the mood and gets me the mindset of how I'm going to attack that day," Kittle told ESPN in 2019.

Tuesday's brief interaction between Kittle and Austin seemed to launch an idea for a new training method. Kittle complimented Austin, who played college football at North Texas University, on his hands, an attribute Austin often displayed when catching beers after wreaking havoc on his opponents.

Austin told Kittle he can probably catch beers better than footballs, which means the JUGS machine design might need some tweaking, but if they can pull it off, it sure sounded like an enjoyable -- and far more relatable -- way to train.

"We can practice together if you want," Kittle said. "I can have someone throw some beers at us and I'll be happy to drink some with you as well."