The Denver Broncos on Tuesday signed defensive end Kenny Peterson to their active roster and added tight end Chad Upshaw to their practice squad, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.
The club also waived second-year defensive tackle Antwon Burton.
Peterson (6-foot-3, 285 pounds) is a fifth-year defensive end who joins Denver for his second stint with the club after the Broncos released him on Oct. 8. He originally signed with the Broncos as a free agent on Oct. 11, 2006, and made two tackles in three games (0 stats) with Denver last year.
Selected by Green Bay in the third round (94th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft from Ohio State University, Peterson spent his first three seasons with the Packers before they waived him on Sept. 2, 2006. He has played 37 career games (0 starts), totaling 56 tackles (35 solo), three sacks 14 yds.), five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
At Ohio State, Peterson played 45 career games (15 starts) and totaled 84 tackles (51 solo) and 12 sacks. He was a second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection in 2002 and helped the Buckeyes win the national championship with two sacks against Miami in their Fiesta Bowl victory.
Peterson was a consensus All-American as a senior at McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio, and was born on Nov. 21, 1978.
Upshaw (6-foot-4, 246 pounds) is a rookie tight end from the University at Buffalo who joins the Broncos after spending the first week of the season on the practice squad of Carolina, which waived him on Sept. 11. He entered the NFL with the Panthers as a college free agent on May 4.
In four seasons at Buffalo, Upshaw totaled 94 career receptions that marked the second-highest total in school history by a tight end. He was a 12-game starter as a senior in 2006, posting a team-high 35 receptions and ranking third on club with 419 receiving yards.
An all-conference selection in football, basketball and baseball at St. Joseph's High School in Southport, Conn., Upshaw was born on June 23, 1984.