Stenerud is considered the finest placekicker in pro football history and is distinguished as the only pure kicker enshrined at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Statistics from his 19-year career placed him near the top of every NFL kicking category.

Only George Blanda (340) and Jim Marshall (282) played in more regular-season NFL games than Stenerud's 263. He is ranked third behind Blanda and Lou Groza in point-after-touchdown NFL record. Seventeen of his field goals were from 50 yards or more, second only to former Chiefs kicker Nick Lowery. Stenerud had seven 100-point seasons, also second behind Lowery.

Eight records are owned or shared by Stenerud, including most consecutive games played (186), most career PATs and field goals attempted (409, 436), most field goals in a season (44), and most field goal attempts in a game (7). He played in six postseason All-Star games, including four NFL Pro Bowl appearances. His contributions to the Chiefs Super Bowl-winning team were vital. He capped the championship season with a 48-yard field goal, the longest in Super Bowl history, against the Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

Stenerud was among the first soccer-style kickers to find success in the NFL. Today, nearly all professional kickers use the technique he popularized. Stenerud's spirit of innovation made him the dominant kicker in professional football. That same spirit bolstered further development of the sidewinding approach. He designed a kicking tee which facilitated the growth of the technique by maximizing the effectiveness of soccer-style kickers.

He is currently director of business development at Howard Needles Tammen & Bergendoff, a Kansas City-based architectural firm that specializes in stadium design.