Não.
Citado nesta resposta link
Actually 127.0.0.1 is just the loopback address for TCP/IP protocol stack. It let's you know you have the protocol installed and windows is recognizing it. Has nothing directly to do with a NIC, as you can still do this test with a generic modem in a system without LAN network hardware or access.
Loopback address is a special IP number (127.0.0.1) that is designated for the software loopback interface of a machine. The loopback interface has no hardware associated with it, and it is not physically connected to a network. The loopback interface allows IT professionals to test IP software without worrying about broken or corrupted drivers or hardware.
Então, isso significa que você não precisa de um NIC para poder executar ping em seus endereços de loopback.