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For a second straight week, Arizona Cardinals standout defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has been fined $7,500 by the league for what NFL officials determined was a play involving illegal contact.

The incident in question occurred in the third quarter of last Sunday's loss at Seattle, when Dockett tackled Seahawks tailback Shaun Alexander after a four-yard gain. Dockett was not penalized on the play, but in reviewing the contest, league officials deemed the hit a so-called "horse-collar" tackle.

The rules for horse-collar tackles were slightly altered for this season to respond to plays that flirted on the fringes of the previous guidelines. The horse-collar rule, known to some as the "Roy Williams Rule," was enacted in 2005. It came after Dallas strong safety Roy Williams several times pulled down ball carriers or receivers from behind, and up around the neck.

It is believed that Dockett, the lone player in the NFL to draw punitive action in each of the first two weeks of this season, will appeal the fine.

A third-year veteran, and regarded as one of the best young tackles in the league, Dockett was also fined $7,500 for a late hit on San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith in the season opener. The contact on that play came as the 49ers' quarterback was near the sideline after releasing the ball on a pass attempt.

After the league sanctioned him in the first week, Dockett proclaimed that he does not consider himself a dirty player, and that the fine would not curtail his aggressiveness.

"I don't want a [bad] reputation," Dockett said. "I don't want it to get to the point where game officials start watching me, just looking for some reason to [penalize] me."

League officials are still reviewing a play that Arizona cornerback Antrel Rolle made on Alexander in the first quarter of last week's game, a hit that also did not draw a flag, to see if it was a horse-collar tackle.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .