Jett Lawrence will miss all three rounds of the 2026 SuperMotocross Playoffs, according to a news release from American Honda.
Jett is scheduled to undergo surgery on September 9, at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. three days before the first playoff race in Columbus, Ohio.
Jett injured his foot and ankle during a pre-season testing crash and missed the entire Monster Energy Supercross season. He returned for the first race of the Pro Motocross season at Fox Raceway in Pala, California, and finished on the podium in third after struggling, by his standards, with moto results of fourth and third.
Jett won the next two Motocross Nationals at Hangtown and Thunder Valley, and continued to sweep the podium in the next six rounds.
Jett struggled with pain throughout the season, which forced him to make unaccustomed mistakes. In the final two rounds of the 2026 Motocross season, he failed to stand on the overall podium for only the third and fourth times in his career.
“I’ve made the decision with my team to sit out the SMX series to get my ankle back to 100 percent for the longevity of my career,” Jett said in a news release. “I suffered through the summer and did everything I could to win the outdoor championship, but my ankle hasn’t felt right since the start of the season, and it’s even worse now after Ironman. I want to do everything I can to get back to being me. The most important thing is that I get back to being pain free as I work towards next year. I appreciate the patience of my team, family and fans as I do everything I can to make that happen.”
In the first three seasons of the SMX Playoffs, Jett has been the only rider to win the championship. His failure to defend the title ensures there will be a new champion.
Coming off last week’s Pro Motocross championship, Hunter Lawrence has finished second to Jett in the last two editions of the SMX Playoffs, including in 2024 when he lost the title due to a tiebreaker.
Ken Roczen, who won the 2026 Monster Energy Supercross championship, finished second to Jett in the inaugural 2023 season.
