Jett Lawrence to Miss 2026 SMX Playoffs After Scheduled Ankle Surgery

# What happened Jett Lawrence will not contest the 2026 SuperMotocross (SMX) Playoffs or the World Championship Final. Honda confirmed he will undergo follow-up surgery for ongoing right-ankle pain on Wednesday, September 9, at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado.

# Background on the injury Lawrence first injured the right ankle in a training crash in December. That injury and the initial surgery kept him out of the entire 17-round 2026 AMA Supercross Championship. He returned for the full 11-round AMA Pro Motocross season, but the ankle never felt fully right.

Lawrence managed to compete strongly despite the discomfort, winning four outdoor rounds and taking the championship fight to the final moto. He ultimately finished two points behind his Honda HRC Progressive teammate and older brother, Hunter Lawrence.

# The Ironman aggravation At the AMA Pro Motocross finale at Ironman Raceway, Lawrence aggravated the ankle in the opening moto. Honda described the result as renewed intense pain and instability. He finished 11th in that opening moto and recovered to third in the second moto, but the damage tipped the recovery-versus-risk balance toward surgery.

# Why he's skipping the SMX postseason The SMX postseason uses a points-reset system that would have compressed the large regular-season gap between Hunter and Jett into a much smaller margin: Hunter (top seed) would start on 25, Jett on 18. That seven-point spread meant Jett was mathematically and realistically back in title contention. Despite that, Lawrence and his team decided the long-term value of restoring the ankle and eliminating pain outweighs the immediate chance at a fourth consecutive SMX crown and the associated payday.

# Immediate details and unknowns Honda has not released specifics about the surgical procedure or provided a recovery timetable. The team's stated priority is to restore the ankle and eliminate continuing pain.

# What this meant for the 2026 season

# Bottom line Jett Lawrence elected surgery and recovery over contesting the SMX Playoffs and World Final. The decision came after an already compromised ankle was aggravated at Ironman Raceway, ending his bid for another immediate championship run so he can address pain and pursue long-term career health.