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Was the QB more important in 1985?  1970?  Certainly it'd be a hard case to make when most teams were playing single-wing football and the halfbacks had as many pass attempts as the QB did.

You can make a decent argument that modern football is just old timey football with more passes. In any event, as passing has become more popular, and the rules have changed to favor passing, quarterbacks have grown in importance.

I don't think they are that different. NFL people have their whole paycheck dependent on evaluating football players for how good they are. Which isn't to say you automatically give an award to whomever you think is the best NFL prospect. For example, this spring I imagine we will get debates over whether Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux should be the top defensive player (or overall player) drafted. The arguments for Thibodeaux will revolve around him being more athletic and having more upside. The arguments for Hutchinson will be that he was better on the field. Seems like relevant information when giving an award to the best player.

But on what planet does "being more athletic and having more upside" have ANYTHING to do with awarding a player's season?????   

Not without production.

Was the QB more important in 1985?  1970?  Certainly it'd be a hard case to make when most teams were playing single-wing football and the halfbacks had as many pass attempts as the QB did.

QB's were always the most important piece of the puzzle. With the advent of modern pass offenses, rule changes, and everything geared towards passing the football their considerable importance has only increased and they have just become even more important and are far and away the most important single piece of the puzzle.

Fix my list
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My vote for the "most outstanding player" having the "most outstanding season" in the past 10 seasons, taking into account QB, RB, and WRs aren't given any more weight than any other position:
2021 - Will Anderson, LB, Alabama
2020 - Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
2019 - Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
2018 - Josh Allen, LB, Kentucky
2017 - Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
2016 - Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
2015 - Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
2014 - Scooby Wright, LB, Arizona
2013 - Aaron Donald, DT, Pitt
2012 - Barrett Jones, C, Alabama
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What's wrong with these?  Would the Heisman be worse?  Would it mean less?  Or would it actually have true fans' respect because it's not a limited selection process?
One could say it's lacking DBs...but maybe that requires a Woodson or a Deion.  
Maybe it's SEC-heavy....but what conference has the most best recruits AND draft choices EVERY single year in this 10-year period?
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Pick it apart, improve upon it, but don't stack it with QBs and RBs...that defeats the point.

I wish Florida would've played Michigan OOC this year so this guy could've watched Aidan whip his teams ass live on tv.

Beating Florida isn't a big deal this year.  We also run way more than we pass, so that would yield limited sack opportunities.  
And when we look at TFL numbers of Hutchinson and say....Will Anderson, that's just not Aidan's thing.  

Beating Florida isn't a big deal this year.  We also run way more than we pass, so that would yield limited sack opportunities. 
And when we look at TFL numbers of Hutchinson and say....Will Anderson, that's just not Aidan's thing. 

Ah, tackles for loss. A great statistic. Tackles 20 yards down the field go in the same group as tackles at the line of scrimmage. But a foot behind the line of scrimmage gets it's own special statistic. And if it's a quarterback behind the line of scrimmage, it gets an even more special statistic. Who wouldn't want these stats to be the backbone of any analysis of how good a player is?